Digital rights
As people turn to digital environments as a way of expressing views they may not feel safe expressing through other channels, more and more governments are using legislation, including privacy and national security laws, to gain control over digital spaces and infrastructure.
In addition, rights such as the right to privacy online have not yet been entrenched in the minds and actions of many citizens and yet citizens across the continent are using various technological services (email, social networking, banking etc.) every day, without adequate safeguards.
Digital rights news from our chapters
New era of improved connectivity and access to information as Starlink deploys in Zimbabwe
MISA Zimbabwe welcomes Starlink's entry into the digital telecommunications ecosystem in Zimbabwe, which is poised to usher in the deployment of high-speed, low-cost internet services in most parts of the country. On 7 September 2024, it was announced and confirmed...
MISA engages SADC CSOs and stakeholders in the operationalisation of regional Non-State Actors’ mechanism
MISA participated in the SADC Non-State Actors Forum Engagement Meeting held on 11 and 12 August, 2024 in Harare. The meeting sought to operationalise the SADC Non-State Actors Engagement Mechanism. The meeting brought together the SADC Secretariat, the Southern...
Policy Brief: Addressing The Gaps In The Data Protection, Privacy And Surveillance Legislation (Now Available!)
Executive Summary Zimbabwe has various pieces of legislation that affect data protection, privacy, and surveillance. The relevant pieces of legislation regarding data protection and privacy include, but are not limited to, the Cyber and Data Protection Act [Chapter...
Open Letter to the AU Heads of State and Government on the Endorsed Continental AI Strategy and African Digital Compact
Date: 22 July 2024 Your Excellencies, 1. This open letter is produced in response to the statement made on 17 June 2024 by the African Union Commission announcing the endorsement of the Continental Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy and African Digital Compact by...
Condolence message on the passing on of journalist Lucy Yasini
The passing of senior journalist Lucy Yasini will undoubtedly create a void in the number of female journalists who report from the ‘frontlines’ in the otherwise male-dominated Zimbabwean media landscape. Yasini was always in the thick of things, toe-to-toe with her...