Internet rights are human rights

In response to national security challenges related to terrorism, ethnic conflict and organised crime, Niger promulgated a new law on the interception of communications, with surveillance implications that threaten the right to free speech and privacy online.

On 30 August, Lebanese internet users reported an internet disruption that made it almost impossible to access platforms like Twitter. This outage affected many websites and services globally, but not all internet service providers nor all internet services in Lebanon were affected the same.

The Foundation for Media Alternatives organised a webinar on digital rights in the Philippines, discussing the exacerbation of the digital divide during the lockdown, freedom of expression and the effects of the controversial Anti-Terror Law.

The fifth session of the African Internet Resilience webinar series took place on 30 July. The focus of the session was to foster a deeper understanding of complementary networks and address the need for internet services in rural and underserved areas across the continent.

On 17 July, the Tanzania government issued new Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations. These new regulations repress online speech, privacy and access to information.

This position paper published by 7amleh - The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media details the increase in Israeli digital rights violations with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

APC member organisation the Open Culture Foundation (OCF), based in Taiwan, reflects upon their experience at RightsCon 2020, which this year took place online.

Temporary internet disruptions and shutdowns pose serious challenges to the exercise of a wide range of rights and cannot be justified under any pretext. We therefore call on the Lebanese authorities to lift all restrictions on internet access and restore telecommunications to full capacity.