Open Internet News

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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26th October 2021

Combating Disinformation in Africa: Challenges and Prospects

By CIPESA Staff Writer |

As disinformation grows in form and prevalence in many African countries, the challenges to combating it are equally increasing yet measures to combat it remain inadequate and often inappropriate. This has got disinformation researchers concerned that, if more robust measures are not adopted, disinformation could become pervasive, harder to fight, and with broad social and political…

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21st October 2021

Policy Brief: How African States Are Undermining the Use of Encryption

By Lillian Nalwoga |

Encryption enables internet users to protect their data and communications from unauthorised access. Accordingly, anonymity and the use of encryption in digital communications are key enablers of citizens’ enjoyment of the right to privacy.

Worryingly, many African countries have passed legislation that limits anonymity and the use of encryption, purportedly to aid governments’ efforts to combat terrorism and…

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