Digital Age

FIFAfrica22: Recognising Access To Information As A Fundamental Digital Right

Greetings from #FIFAfrica22 |

On September 28 the International Day for Universal Access To Information (IDUAI) will be commemorated globally. The day was proclaimed by the United Nations Educational and Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) General Conference in 2015, following the adoption of the 38 C/Resolution 57 which recognised the significance of access to information. The 2022 edition of the Forum on…

Africa Digital Activists Gathering to Weave a Voice That Pushes Their Politicians Towards Democracy

News Update

Africtivistes, the increasingly large pan-African organization of cyberactivists, meets this week in Abidjan with a new objective: to unite to get a direct say in the development and implementation of public policies in their respective countries.

Six years ago, a group of West African digital activists decided to consolidate the informal ties they had built . They were pioneers in their countries, the…

CIPESA, Rudi, Support Formation of Digital Rights Lawyers’ Coalition in DR Congo

By Ashnah Kalemera |

A coalition of public interest lawyers has been formed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) with an aim to promote digital rights in the central African country. Comprising advocates from six cities- Bukavu, Goma, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Lubumbashi and Matadi – the coalition will provide support to members to grow their skills in digital rights litigation,…

Critics of SA Government’s Proposed Digital Grab Idea Express Deep Concerns

South Africa News Update |

If, as proposed in a new policy document, the government becomes co-owner of any data generated in SA, what does that mean for privacy And surely it would discourage foreign investment?
 
Government’s proposed data policy in which the government will become co-owner of all data generated in SA has come under withering fire from local and foreign legal…

There’s No Such Thing as Flawless Facial Recognition Technology

News Update |
A human rights lawyer responds to Catherine Lacey’s “Congratulations on Your Loss.”
A few years ago, I attended a meeting for litigators at a digital rights conference. When entering the room, I saw many familiar faces, and a few that were unfamiliar. When I introduced myself to one of the women I had never seen before, a white woman, she…

How Telecom Companies in Africa Can Respond Better to Internet Disruptions

By Victor Kapiyo |

In recent years, disruptions to the internet and social media applications have emerged as a common and growing trend of digital repression especially in authoritarian countries in Africa. Since 2019, countries such as Algeria, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and…

Digital Services Taxes May Be Difficult To Remove

By Nana Ama Sarfo |

An unresolved issue in the OECD’s base erosion and profit-shifting 2.0 reform project is when and how countries will remove their unilateral digital tax measures once a solution is brokered. The OECD has made it clear that inclusive framework members are expected to revoke unilateral measures and refrain from introducing new ones when that time comes.
 Yet after rounds of discussions,…

#WithoutFear: Digital Shelter Confronts Online Abuse Against Somali Women

By CIPESA Writer |

In December 2020, Digital Shelter carried out a crowdsourcing survey asking Somali women to share their experiences of online shame, harassment and abuse. The survey resulted in 82 women responding with stories ranging from having accounts hacked, blackmail, through to receiving unsolicited indecent images from men.

Online harassment carries similar harms as street harassment, yet, as one respondent in…

South Africa’s Parliament Rejects Plan to Introduce e-Voting

By Tusi Fokane |

As South Africa prepares to hold local government elections in 2021, parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs has rejected two proposals contained in the Electoral Laws Amendment Bill, which could have seen the introduction of electronic voting in the country.

The rejected proposals were contained in clause 14, which suggested that the country’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) “may…

Advancing Consumer Protection across Africa in the Digital Age

By CIPE Writer |

Consumer protection serves as an avenue for promoting transparency, accountability, and trust in the digital age, helping shield both consumers and small businesses from unfair practices online. According to a report by the International Finance Corporation and Google, “Africa’s internet economy has the potential to reach $180 billion by 2025, accounting for 5.2% of the [Continent’s] gross domestic product…