SECTOR 1 actions of a few. Although the internet has since been reinstated to the affected parts of the country, residents complain that it is a highly limited version. In early 2017, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications sent out threatening text messages to mobile phone users. Two of the most widely circulated messages read, Dear subscriber, you may be sentenced to 20 years in prison if found guilty of slander or propagating false declarations on the social media. MINPOSTEL. Dear subscriber, you [can] incur 6 months to 2 years imprisonment, and [a] 5 to 10 million fine if you publish or spread on social media the information you can’t prove. MINPOSTEL. Panellists alleged that since 2017, security forces have routinely searched citizen’s cellphones for ’incriminating’ media and texts and have made arrests, particularly in the north-west and south-west regions. A new cybercrimes law passed in 2015 empowers government agencies to take down websites, and with the help of foreign partners, block sites hosted abroad. The law targets criminal activities but panellists said it could easily be used to suppress dissent and critical voices. Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: ✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 3.3 (2008 = n/a; 2011 = 1.5; 2014 = 4.1) 1.10 Civil society in general and media lobby groups actively advance the cause of media freedom Dozens of media organisations have been created in Cameroon since the early 1990s when the sector was liberalised: new laws were passed to facilitate the creation of associations. These organisations include trade unions, professional movements and networks with varying scopes and levels of specialisation. The Union of Cameroon Journalists (UCJ), is considered to be an ’umbrella organization’ under which other media organisations are expected to operate. Panellists named at least 13 active media organisations, of which the majority are trade unions. 20 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER CAMEROON 2018