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
MISA Lesotho rejects Communications (Subscriber Identity Module & Mobile Device Registration) Regulations 2021
MISA Lesotho has learned with shock and dismay about the recent gazettement of Communications (Subscriber Identity Module & Mobile Device Registration) Regulations of 2021, which makes it a requirement for all citizens and non-citizens using mobile phones in...
New Lesotho regulations violate right to privacy
The Lesotho government has gazetted the Communications (Subscriber Identity Module and Mobile Device Registration) Regulations of 2021, which makes it a requirement for everyone in that country using mobile phones to have their personal information stored with the...
Regional Multi-stakeholder Internet Governance Forum Resolutions
The Regional Governing Council of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) and its Chapter directors organised and convened the Regional Multi-stakeholder Internet Governance Forum in Harare, Zimbabwe, on 4 June 2021. The Annual Regional Multi-stakeholder...
Analysis of proposed amendments to the Mauritius ICT Act
Introduction Sometime in April 2021, the Information and Communications Technology Authority (ICTA) of Mauritius proposed amendments to the ICT Act which were supposedly aimed at ‘regulating the use and addressing the abuse and misuse of social media in Mauritius’....
Over-regulation of the internet threat to digital rights
One of the reasons that contributed to the increased levels of Internet penetration in Africa and in Zimbabwe was that the internet space was perceived as a ‘free and unregulated space’ for freedom of expression and access to information. It was also viewed as a...