News Update |
It has been one year since Ethiopia’s hate speech and disinformation law was passed.
At the time it was passed the government argued that the law was necessary to prevent individuals from engaging in speech that incited violence and promoted hatred and discrimination against a person or group.
It was also intended to promote tolerance and mutual respect and to control the dissemination and proliferation of…
By Ashnah Kalemera |
The digital landscape of Somalia and the breakaway states of Somaliland and Puntland is largely shaped by the region’s history of terrorism and political turmoil. Website censorship, internet disruptions and crackdowns on the media co-exist in a fast-evolving technology sector, within a regressive policy and regulatory environment. With support from the Africa Digital Rights Fund (ADRF), three…
By CIPESA Staff |
Elections are an essential democratic process during which citizens need access to a range of credible information in order to participate meaningfully and to make informed choices. But elections can also be highly charged affairs and, with the increasing proliferation of digital technologies, there is always a danger of rising cases of online hate speech.
This scenario requires…
By Access Now |
Amidst a growing crackdown on media, human rights defenders, and opposition politicians, the Republic of Uganda will hold general elections on Thursday, January 14. With a dark history of internet and social media blocking during national events, and alarming reports of disruptions already emerging, Ugandan voters’ rights to access information and express opinion are under threat. The #KeepItOn coalition, via an open…
By Edrine Wanyama |
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) has been observed every December 3 since 1992. The annual event aims to “promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural…
Press Release |
The Principles on Identification for Sustainable Development (the Principles), the creation of which was facilitated by the World Bank’s Identification for Development (ID4D) initiative in 2017, provide one of the few attempts at global standard-setting for the development of digital identification systems across the world. They are endorsed by many global and regional organizations (the “Endorsing Organizations”) that…
By Apolo Kakaire |
The outbreak of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) could not have come at a worse time for Uganda, as the country prepares for what is being referred to as a “scientific election”, where physical rallies are severely restricted, with candidates advised to rely more on the media to canvass support.
Various measures adopted by the government to fight Covid-19 are hampering…
Togo News Update |
Late last month, authorities in Togo arrested leading opposition figure, Dr. Kafui Adjamagbo-Johnson, a 61-year-old law professor. The arrest and ongoing detention of Dr. Adjamagbo – who in 2010 became the first woman to ever run for president in Togo – is the latest sign of an escalating and more pernicious clampdown on political rights in the country.
In…
Africa News Update |
The snooping technique tracks phones and intercepts calls and texts
The governments of seven African countries — Botswana, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Zambia, and Zimbabwe — are using spyware technology, according to a new report by Citizen Lab, an interdisciplinary research unit at the University of Toronto, Canada.
The study has identified at least 25 countries around the world that have…
News Update in Zambia |
A private surveillance firm that exploits mobile network vulnerabilities to spy on calls, texts and location data is doing business with at least 25 governments around the globe, including Zambia’s a report released this week has concluded.
The findings from the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab scrutinize the work of the company Circles, which is a sister firm…