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…

A Call on TECNO to Uphold Users Privacy and Security

Open Letter |

Strengthening the digital security of at-risk groups and organisations amidst growing digital rights attacks in Africa has become increasingly crucial. However, inadequate device security is undermining such efforts.

Investigations by Privacy International have revealed that TECNO – a phone manufacturer with an estimated 47% market share in East Africa and widely used across other regions on the continent – is putting users’ privacy and security…

Digital Taxation Doing More Harm than Good for Access and Rights in Africa

By Evelyn Lirri |

When Uganda introduced a tax on social media use in 2018, the government hoped the new source of revenue would help widen the country’s tax base. Instead, internet subscriptions fell drastically and the government did not raise the anticipated revenue as most users turned to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to access social media platforms.

Three years later in July 2021, Uganda abandoned…

CIPESA, AIRA Stand Against Twitter Ban In Nigeria

Statement |

The African Internet Alliance (AIRA) is concerned about the indefinite suspension of Twitter in Nigeria. This ban is part of a growing trend that curtails freedom of expression and hampers online economic activity. AIRA urges the Nigerian Government to rescind this decision, which is arbitrary, and instead should seek alternative ways of dealing with Twitter.

CIPESA alongside alliance members including…

News editor in Botswana Faces Jail Time Over Facebook Posts, Alleges Suffocation by Police

News update |

Police in Botswana detained Oratile Dikologang, co-founder and digital editor of the local, privately owned website Botswana People’s Daily News, on April 9, 2020, and charged him over Facebook posts about COVID-19 and local politics that he denies publishing, according to CPJ’s review of a copy of a charge sheet, Dikologang, and local media reports. He told CPJ by phone in…

GSM Telcos Lose N1.1 Billion to SIM Card Registration Ban

Nigeria News update |

The four major Telco players in Nigeria have lost a total of 11.8 million customers since the implementation of NIN-SIM card ban by the federal government in December 2020. This is according to information obtained from the Nigerian Communications Commission.

Specifically, the total subscriber base of the four major telco firms in Nigeria, reduced from 207.58 million at the…

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,…

Cameroon Plans To Set Up a Digital Library For Universities

By Ayang Macdonald |

A project to set up a unique digital library that will connect Cameroon’s eight state-owned universities is in the pipeline. This was at the center of discussions when heads of the concerned universities as well as authorities of the country’s Higher Education Ministry met for two days in the capital, Yaounde, last week.

During the meeting, stakeholders brainstormed on various operational modalities…

Covid-19: How Civic Techies Are Stepping Up To Aid The Fight In Africa

By Melissa Zisengwe |

The outbreak of the Covid-19pandemic has seen a number of African civic tech initiatives support efforts to help citizens, governments, businesses and communities respond to the global health crisis that is affecting every part of our lives. Civic tech has enabled government, citizens and companies to track and slow the spread of Covid-19across different African countries.

According to…

Tracking Disinformation Laws and Policies in More Than 30 Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

By APC News |

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the dissemination of vast amounts of information, both verified and unverified. Against this backdrop, Global Partners Digital (GPD), ARTICLE 19, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), PROTEGE QV and the Centre for Human Rights of the University of Pretoria recently launched the Disinformation Tracker, an interactive…