Open Internet News

9th March 2023

Boosting Web Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities in Mozambique

By CIPESA Staff Writer |

In March 2021, accessibility testing on more than 90 public and essential services websites in Mozambique revealed various barriers preventing individuals with visual, hearing, physical or cognitive impairment from fully engaging with the web. Among the most common barriers  were low colour contrast, the absence of “alt text” for images, lack of landmarks to identify regions…

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7th March 2023

#Tech4Equality: Advocating for Gender Inclusive ICT Policy and Governance

By Alice Aparo |
On March 8, 2023, the International Women’s Day (IWD) will be commemorated globally under the theme “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”. Set to recognise and celebrate women and girls who are championing the advancement of transformative technology and digital education, the day will explore the impact of the digital gender gap on widening economic and social…

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6th February 2023

CIPESA, DefyHateNow Support Fact-Checking in South Sudan

By Emmanuel Bida Thomas |

Disinformation thrives in conflict situations and in the world’s youngest nation, South Sudan, years of political uncertainty have cultivated a severe information disorder. In the face of another postponement of elections, community peace building including through debunking disinformation is critical to the country being able to stave off hate speech and incitement to violence.

According…

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23rd January 2023

Call for Applications: Fundraising Consultant at CIPESA

About CIPESA
The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) is a leading centre for research and analysis that works to defend and expand the digital civic space to enable the protection and promotion of human rights and to enhance innovation and sustainable development. With a focus on disparate actors including government, the private sector, civil society,…

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How Zimbabwe is Building a Big Brother Surveillance State

News Update |

Ever since the November 2017 coup, which ousted the late strongman Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe has been experiencing democratic regression. Civic space previously had a veneer of state-acknowledged existence and tolerance by the government; however, under the stewardship of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the country’s civic space is shrinking both online and offline as the regime employs a raft of legal and…

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20th January 2023

Capacitating Civil Society Actors to Advance Digital Rights in Africa

By Paul Kimumwe |

Internet freedom in Africa has been on the decline over the past years with several countries continually adopting repressive measures that curtail civil liberties. Many governments have embraced digital authoritarianism, which has resulted in criminalisation of speech online, internet disruptions, arrests and prosecution of social media users, and abuse of citizens’ data rights, thus undermining free expression and civic participation.

Several…

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12th January 2023

A Section of Uganda’s Computer Misuse Act Outlawed! But, the Greater Part of the Law Remains Thorny

By Juliet Nanfuka |

The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) welcomes the ruling by Uganda’s Constitutional Court that section 25 of the Computer Misuse Act of 2011, which penalises “offensive communication”, is null and void. This section has severally been used by state authorities to silence dissent, and CIPESA has for long supported efforts to…

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27th December 2022

Namibia: Legally Dodgy Harvesting of Biometric Data

News Update |
MTC is scanning fingers and taking facial photos, while legal frameworks only require basic information for SIM registration.
IN A USUALLY empty retail space just around the corner from the box office inside the MTC Dome at Swakopmund, a crowd of people recently had their fingerprints scanned and then a photo taken of their faces by MTC Namibia employees.

The…

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