Growing the Conversation on Online Rights and Internet Measurement in Africa

By Juliet Nanfuka |

Rising awareness of the role the internet can play in promoting democratic governance, economic prosperity, civic participation and social inclusion is increasingly driving discussions around Africa. A growing number of stakeholders is getting involved in discussions to address gaps in the realisation of the potential of the internet in progressing socio- economic development and justice.

Platforms such as…

Silencing the Few Voices Left: Egypt Blocks 21 News Websites

By Access Now and SKeyes|
See the statement in Arabic

On Wednesday, May 24, 2017, Egypt banned at least 21 websites, including the main website of Qatar-based Al Jazeera television, The Huffington Post, and prominent local independent news site Mada Masr.

Mada Masr, as well as 20 other websites, were blocked by the Egyptian authorities for “supporting terrorism and extremism and spreading lies,”…

Tackling The Gender Digital Divide in Africa

By Koliwe Majama|

The emergence of the internet is touted as an opportunity for women in Africa to ‘play catch up’ after years of being ‘left out’ in the mainstream media. It is said that the internet is a platform of democracy and freedom where women can amplify their voices on and access critical information relating to their well being and empowerment…

Threat to Media Freedom as Authorities Seek to Introduce Repressive Press Law

On May 5, 2017, authorities in Cote d’Ivoire introduced to the country’s Parliament a new media Bill containing provisions that criminalize press offences. The introduction of the Bill occasioned spontaneous protests and condemnation by the media and press freedom community in the country.
Media march to denounce the bill on May 3.
Photo credit: lepointsur.com…

Zimbabwe Data Ruling Could Be an Attempt to Clamp Down on Social Media, Quell Dissent

By Malcom Sharara|

In 2016 Zimbabweans ​used social media to air their grievances, criticise and eventually mobilise citizens to demonstrate against government.

Zimbawe’s new floor prices for data services could be an attempt to boost state coffers, or government’s way of curbing free speech through social media, according to analysts.

Zimbabwe’s telecoms regulator the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz), which set…

How Applicable is the Multi-stakeholder Approach to Internet Governance in Africa?

By Ashnah Kalemera |

What is the value for Africans in international Internet Governance processes if the approach towards Internet governance on the continent has not fully embraced the multi-stakeholder model? This was among the concerns heard during debates at the 11th Internet Governance Forum (IGF), as some participants questioned the applicability of the global internet governance agenda to Africa.

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The Internet Shutdown In Ethiopia Costs The Country Approximately $500,000 A Day In Lost GDP

By Tefo Mohapi|

In October 2016, Ethiopia declared a state of emergency which saw it impose certain measures that included telecommunications, media and Internet shutdowns along with travel restrictions on diplomats and a dusk-to-dawn curfew, to name a few of the measures implemented. The state of emergency, effective from 08 October 2016, comes as a result of about five hundred people…

Africans Want Cross-Border Data Access Reform, But They Might Get Left Out

By Mailyn Fidler|

Mailyn Fidler is a fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. You can follow her @mailynfidler. 

At the first session of the 2016 Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa, questions about cross-border data access—usually a dry topic—took center stage. The moderator and participants grilled representatives from Google and Facebook about the fairness of limited…

African govts ‘Unlawfully’ Blocking Cyber Space

By Jean-Pierre Afadhali|
IN SUMMARY

Shutting down the Internet, blocking websites and expunging online content are among the tactics governments in Africa are using to stifle citizens’ voices, even as online platforms increasingly become the go-to places to denounce bad governance.
Shutting down the Internet, blocking websites and expunging online content are among the tactics governments in Africa are using to stifle citizens’ voices,…

Ethiopian Authorities Shut Down Mobile Internet and Major Social Media Sites

By Endalk|

All mobile internet services have been shut down in Ethiopia for the last seven days, amid increasingly violent protest scenes and a recently declared a “state of emergency”.

Demonstrations have taken place with regular frequency in Ethiopia’s Oromia region since November 2015, with protesters demanding greater self-rule, freedom and respect for the ethnic identity of the Oromo people, who have experienced systematic marginalization and persecution…