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…
Mask or muzzle: The impact of COVID-19 measures on digital rights in Kenya
Publications
29 June 2020
When we first heard of COVID-19 and how it was ravaging Europe, we did not think that it would have a great impact on our laws, especially digital rights. The expectation was more on the government imposing limitations on freedom of assembly, to enforce social distancing, and on the right to privacy, since contact tracing involves sharing people’s personal information with third parties.
Upon the…
Reflections on COVID-19 policy responses in Uganda and the relevance of the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms for promoting women’s rights online
Publications
29 June 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown why the protection of human rights online is more important now than ever before. The internet has been a gateway for access to critical information, services and opportunities available to many people for the first time, as noted by the GSMA mobile gender gap report.
With more than half of the world’s population under lockdown conditions, more women and girls are using the…