Open Internet News

8th November 2021

Media Training on Disability and Digital Rights in Africa

Call for Applications |

In the lead up to the International Disability Day, on December 3, 2021, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) is inviting journalists from Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda to apply for a two-day media training on Disability and Digital Rights in Africa. The virtual training will take place over two full days…

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How Digital Activism Is Helping African Languages Be Part of a Multilingual Web

By Evelyn Lirri |

The United Nations declared 2022-2032 the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, with the hope of creating a pathway for promoting mainstream linguistic diversity and multilingualism, including in the digital sphere. Currently, there are an estimated 7,000 languages and dialects in the world, of which only 10 dominate the internet ecosystem. Many indigenous, minority and low-resourced languages are…

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4th November 2021

Putting Digital Inclusion Data into Practice

By Prudence Nyamishana |

Trends in global digitalisation have seen strides in the use of technology as an enabler for economic growth, public discourse, service delivery, transparency and accountability, access to education and public health. However, alongside these advancements, there has remained a persistent digital access gap that predominantly affects Sub-Saharan Africa.

Further, it appears that even for those countries in the…

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Towards Affordable, Accessible and Available Internet in Southern Africa

News Update |

Earlier today, 4 November 2021, the MISA Director, Tabani Moyo addressed the Africa ICT Ministers’ Forum hosted by UNESCO on the state of internet regulations in Southern Africa with an emphasis on marching towards affordable, accessible and available internet. The full address is as below;

Information as a public good is a timeless proposition. Moreso, a complex declaration as is…

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3rd November 2021

These WhatsApp Messages Can Now Land You In Serious Legal Trouble in South Africa

News Update |

The government signed two key pieces of legislation into law in 2021, which will impact social media posts and sharing messages in South Africa, says social media lawyer Emma Sadleir.

Addressing a recent UCT webinar, Sadleir said that the Film and Publications Amendment Act now criminalises all forms of image-based violence and revenge pornography. In addition, the Cybercrimes Act criminalises threats…

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2nd November 2021

Face Recognition Is So Toxic, Facebook Is Dumping It

News Update |

Facebook announced it is, for now, shutting down its face recognition program, which created face prints of users and automatically recognized them in uploaded photos. The decision to end the program comes at a time when face recognition technology is receiving push back, criticisms, and legislative bans across the United States, and the globe. Close to 20 U.S. cities, including…

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Stalking the messenger: Ending impunity for illegal surveillance

Opinion |

We know that the issues around digital surveillance are complicated. The tech side of the tools used and the means to circumvent them are complicated. Drawing a hard line between what may be acceptable to help ensure our personal security and what pushes our societies into Orwellian territory is also complicated.

As the revelations of the Pegasus Project show us, illegal surveillance…

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27th October 2021

National ICT Accessibility Standard Will Bridge the Digital Divide in Kenya

News Update |

Over the next six months, inABLE and KEBS will be working together along with other stakeholders, including the National Council of People with Disabilities in Kenya (NCPWD), Communications Authority (CA) and ICT Authority and individual experts with lived experiences, to draft the national ICT Accessibility Standard.

The initiative, which is a collaboration between inABLE.org and Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), will see people living…

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