Blog

Gagging Free Speech by Computer Misuse Act, Films and Stage Plays Act – Part 1

By Mugambi Kiai, Gakii Winfred and Sigi W |

Authorities are deploying tyrannical practices to stifle public commentary on social and political issues, with wanton impunity. This is a frontal and brutal assault on the Constitution and an egregious violation of the social contract between the state and citizens.
“If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of…

Zambia Okays Tough Cyber Law Sparking Fears Over Misuse

By Barron’s Writer |

Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Friday said he had signed into law a bill criminalising cyber abuse which critics alleged could be misused to stifle dissent ahead of upcoming elections.

Lungu signed the bill on Tuesday, his office said, adding that the president hoped it would “bring sanity in the way the internet is used in Zambia”.

“This is purely…

Facial Recognition Beats the Covid-mask Challenge

By James Clayton |
Anyone with a smartphone that uses facial recognition will know it does not really work with a mask on.

That can be frustrating – but although masks have undoubtedly thwarted the facial-recognition industry, the technology has also adapted.

It may sound strange but wearing a mask does not necessarily stop a computer from identifying someone.

And there are even…

Facebook Interdicted in Fight With South Africa’s GovChat

By Duncan McLeod |

Facebook has been interdicted and restrained by the Competition Tribunal from removing GovChat, a communications service used by the South African government, from its WhatsApp instant messaging platform.

The tribunal said on Thursday that Facebook, WhatsApp and Facebook South Africa may not remove GovChat on an interim basis pending further investigation. Facebook owns the WhatsApp messaging platform, which is dominant…

Namibia and Sierra Leone’s Digital Rights Record to be Assessed at the 38th Session of the Universal Peer Review

By Edrine Wanyama |

Namibia and Sierra Leone are among the countries that will undergo their Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the upcoming 38th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council slated to take place in May 2021. The two countries have distinct human rights and governance track records, accompanied by  increasing digitalisation, making it important that the UPR recommendations…

How Telecom Companies in Africa Can Respond Better to Internet Disruptions

By Victor Kapiyo |

In recent years, disruptions to the internet and social media applications have emerged as a common and growing trend of digital repression especially in authoritarian countries in Africa. Since 2019, countries such as Algeria, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and…

Digital Services Taxes May Be Difficult To Remove

By Nana Ama Sarfo |

An unresolved issue in the OECD’s base erosion and profit-shifting 2.0 reform project is when and how countries will remove their unilateral digital tax measures once a solution is brokered. The OECD has made it clear that inclusive framework members are expected to revoke unilateral measures and refrain from introducing new ones when that time comes.
 Yet after rounds of discussions,…

Sierra Leone’s New Cybercrime Bill Could Turn a Phone Into a Crime Scene

By Alhaji Koroma|
Digitization has been a huge boost to Sierra Leoneans in recent years, making new spaces available online to freely express and share sensitive views and information on the country’s political and socio-economic issues.
But Sierra Leone’s current laws on free speech in digital spaces do not adequately protect citizens from targeted harassment or arbitrary threats and arrests.
Now, a proposed cybercrime…

No Extension to POPI Act Grace Period, Says Info Regulator

By Admire Moyo |

The one-year grace period given to South African organisations to comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) will not be extended.

So said advocate Pansy Tlakula, chairperson of the Information Regulator, in an e-mail interview with ITWeb.

According to Tlakula, the Information Regulator is in the process of making final preparations for SA’s data privacy law that is…

MTN Accused of Sabotaging National Security and Customers Privacy Through Employing Unlicensed, Unqualified ‘Technicians’

By Stephen Kasozi Muwambi |

The saga has been uncovered by a private sector organization which leads the fight against counterfeit products as well as services on the African continent.

MTN stands accused of employing incompetent mobile phone repairers under the firm of Phone Doctors Uganda Limited. The company is outsourced by MTN to do the job.

The questionable firm is premised at Imperial…