Human rights

EngageMedia: Monitoring the ruling on 2019 internet shutdowns in Papua and West Papua
EngageMedia: Monitoring the ruling on 2019 internet shutdowns in Papua and West Papua 15 June 2020 EngageMedia

Earlier this month, the Jakarta State Administrative Court declared as illegal the internet shutdowns in Papua and West Papua enforced by the Indonesian government in 2019.

7amleh: Palestinian Digital Rights Coalition warns against phone application "The Coordinator"
7amleh: Palestinian Digital Rights Coalition warns against phone application "The Coordinator" 15 June 2020

Al Munasq, a dangerous application launched by Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (COGAT) unit last year, violates Palestinians' privacy and can lead to other human rights violations.

Data protection in Africa and the COVID-19 pandemic: Old problems, new challenges and multistakeholder solutions
Data protection in Africa and the COVID-19 pandemic: Old problems, new challenges and multistakeholder solutions 15 June 2020 Tomiwa Ilori

Data protection in Africa can still be described to be in its nascent stage. Most African states do not have a data protection law. This paper by Tomiwa Ilori considers the status of data protection in Africa and the impact of public emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic on data protection in Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda, Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa and Mauritius.

Inside the Digital Society: Digital education. Enthusiasts, realists and the coronavirus
Inside the Digital Society: Digital education. Enthusiasts, realists and the coronavirus 15 June 2020 David Souter

Realism’s been gaining ground, but anyone who reads the literature knows that hype’s still hot in digital discourse. Education’s been one of the battlegrounds, and coronavirus has brought it to the fore again.

Philippines: Guilty verdict against Rappler is proof of "cybercrime law's potential to be used for impunity, censorship, and to chill press freedom"
Philippines: Guilty verdict against Rappler is proof of "cybercrime law's potential to be used for impunity, censorship, and to chill press freedom" 15 June 2020 Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA)

APC joins FMA in denouncing the guilty verdict handed down in the cyber libel case against online media organisation Rappler’s CEO Maria Ressa and former reporter Reynaldo Santos, Jr. The case is widely regarded to be the ultimate test of the Philippines’ controversial cybercrime law.

Can the social contract theory justify data rights violations? A review of South Africa's contact tracing regulations
Can the social contract theory justify data rights violations? A review of South Africa's contact tracing regulations 13 June 2020 Rumbidzai Matamba and Chenai Chair

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a need for solutions to “flatten the curve”. This essay by Rumbidzai Matamba and Chenai Chair employs the use of the South African government’s contact tracing initiatives to assess whether the social contract theory can be employed as a tool to justify privacy violations for public health.

"The forgotten constituency": Making a case for digital rights for prisoners in Zimbabwe during and beyond COVID-19
"The forgotten constituency": Making a case for digital rights for prisoners in Zimbabwe during and beyond COVID-19 13 June 2020 David Makwerere

In Zimbabwe, just like in many other parts of the world, prison is highly resented by society. This paper by David Makwerere tackles this largely unexplored subject on digital rights for prisoners.

Speaking of Hatred: Deconstructing the gendered nature of religion-based hate and violence
Speaking of Hatred: Deconstructing the gendered nature of religion-based hate and violence 12 June 2020

In the first session of “Speaking of Hatred: A three-part presentation on hatred, religion and gender in South and Southeast Asia", hosted by APC, Dr. V. Geetha explored the gendered nature of religion-based hatred and violence, as well as addressing broader questions on the nature of hate.

Creating Safe Online Spaces for Women: Policy brief
Creating Safe Online Spaces for Women: Policy brief 12 June 2020 Liz Orembo and Mwara Gichanga

In response to the growing incidence of cyber harassment on Kenyan online platforms, KICTANet conducted a study to highlight the struggles of those affected by it, who are often women. The purpose of this policy brief is to understand the nature of cyber harassment and the existing policy gaps.

Digital divisions: COVID-19 policy and practice and the digital divide in Africa
Digital divisions: COVID-19 policy and practice and the digital divide in Africa 12 June 2020 Charley Lewis

The sudden and dramatic advent of the COVID-19 global pandemic caught the world by surprise and left many floundering for responses, none more so than those in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector: the policy makers, regulators and internet and other ICT service providers.

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