Open Internet News

12th April 2018

CNC Suspends Commentary Column of Iwacu News Paper

Burundi News|

Burundi Media Regulator CNC has suspended this Wednesday, April 11, 2018, the online commentary column of Iwacu newspaper for three months. Iwacu newspaper direction says to be saddened by the decision.

Iwacu has gone against professional standards, the reason why CNC decides to suspend the column for three months from now”, says Karenga Ramadhani, Chairman of Burundi Media Regulator- CNC.

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Tanzania Enacts Regressive Online Content Regulations

By Ashnah Kalemera |

Tanzania has issued online content regulations that oblige bloggers, owners of discussion forums, as well as radio and television streaming services to register with the communications regulator and to pay hefty licensing and annual fees.

There are three types of licences. A license for provision of online content services comes at an initial cost of TZShs 1.1 million…

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6th April 2018

What New Regulations Mean to Social Media Users

Tanzania News|

Dar es Salaam. Be warned that failure to have a password for your mobile phone is now a crime which might earn you a fine of more than Sh5 million or imprisonment for 12 months or both.

This is in accordance to the newly introduced Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulation 2018 which was signed by Minister for Information,…

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5th April 2018

Chad is Blocking Social Media and Messaging Apps Again

Paris, April 5, 2018: Internet Without Borders is alarmed by the current shutdown of social media platforms and messaging services including Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Viber and important news website such as BBC, in Chad.

This new case of censorship comes just a few days after Internet Without Borders and partners submitted a report to the UN Human Rights Council, on Human Rights violations…

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3rd April 2018

Internet shutdown as Sierra Leone votes

Sierra Leone News Update |

Sierra Leone’s telecom regulatory body, NATCOM, has denied claims it shut down internet access ahead of the country’s presidential elections.

The first round election on 7 March failed to produce an outright winner with no candidate securing 55% of votes as required by local electoral laws. A run-off election was called for Saturday 31 March.

As counting started, internet access…

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29th March 2018

Using Africa’s Unspent Millions to Close the Digital Gender Gap

News Update|

A recent study has found there’s $408 million sitting in unused funds across Africa – money that could be used to get millions more women and girls online. The Alliance for Affordable Internet’s Dhanaraj Thakur explains how.

Africa has the largest gender gap of any region in the world when it comes to internet use: 25 percent fewer women are online than men, and…

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25th March 2018

Uganda Moves to Register Online Content Providers

By Daniel Mwesigwa |

Uganda has become the latest East African country to threaten access to information and free speech online by putting in place measures that require the registration of online content providers. In a noticeissued earlier this month, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) called for online publishers, news platforms, radio and television operators to “apply and obtain authorization” for provision…

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24th March 2018

Building Collaborations in Research for Internet Policy Advocacy in Africa

By Juliet Nanfuka |

Many African countries are caught between developing policies that support the unfettered use of the internet as a tool for social, economic and political growth, and laws that threaten citizens’ rights and use of digital technologies. Often, this is partly due to limited evidence upon which to base policies and decision-making, which results from the scant availability…

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