Call for researchers - Fostering a Rights-Based Approach to Data Protection in Africa: Country Reports
Statements/Press releases
03 August 2020
The Secretariat of the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms Coalition (hereafter referred to as ‘AfDec’) seeks to strengthen a rights-based approach to data protection in Africa, in line with its Principle 8 on Privacy and personal…
Select Legislative Responses to COVID-19
Publications
20 July 2020
As a result of the continued global spread of COVID-19, civil society organisations, human rights activists and digital rights activists have identified a range of potential and actual human rights violations as the continent responds to the COVID-19 pandemic. These include limitations to the exercise and/or facilitation of rights through the internet or other digital mediums. Some of these limitations, such as…
Tracking disinformation laws and policies in more than 30 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa
Publications
16 July 2020
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 …
Digital-shy Zimbabwe’s schools feel the brunt of COVID-19
Publications
30 June 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed how citizens become vulnerable when governments do not protect and promote human rights in the online environment. The pandemic has critically affected the global education sector, potentially compromising the right to education. Across the globe, over 1.2 billion children had their right to education infringed following enforced school closures as part of the measures to combat…
A provisional analysis of the impact of telecommunications policy and regulatory frameworks in Africa and COVID-19: A community networks perspective
Publications
30 June 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant socioeconomic impact across the globe. To prevent the spread of infections, governments are implementing emergency measures, such as physical distancing and lockdowns, with some countries encouraging cashless transfers. Individuals, organisations and institutions are now leveraging internet connectivity and digital technologies for work, education, commerce and…
Trends of Online Violence against Women in Politics During the COVID19 pandemic in Kenya
Publications
30 June 2020
During this COVID19 period, violence against women has manifested itself in different forms, including domestic violence and online and technology-facilitated violence. The forms are manifested in physical threats, sexual harassment, stalking, zoom bombing, and sex trolling. For politicians, online platforms have become the most effective tools for consistent interaction with their constituents, considering…