Access to information
While social media sites tend to respond slowly or not at all to misinformation on their platforms, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many have taken steps to address and stop the spread of misinformation, as well as to steer users towards reliable sources of information and support.
Voices for Interactive Choice and Empowerment (VOICE), an APC member organisation in Bangladesh, argues that an inclusive approach featuring all sectors of society is required to beat COVID-19.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, people everywhere are asked to cease physical interactions and the internet has become the lifeline for the work of human rights defenders currently working from home. What does this mean in Uganda, a country with low internet access?
In March 2020, the Communications Authority of Kenya invited comments on the Draft Dynamic Spectrum Access Framework for Authorisation of the Use of TV White Spaces. Five civil society organisations presented their comments with the common objective to help create a quality and affordable telecommunications service to all Kenyans, especially those in rural and underserved areas.
This is a compilation of articles and other resources and initiatives featured by the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), an APC member organisation, in their latest newsletter.
APC member organisation 7amleh – The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media received this year's award in the digital activism category for its outstanding work educating the Palestinian public and the world about Palestinian digital rights issues.
There is a need to balance the use of technology with human rights in response to the pandemic. Otherwise, we might risk losing the rights and freedoms we had steadily gained over many years.
While COVID-19 continues to ravage the world, there is growing concern that critical messages about the disease that are disseminated by health authorities, telecom companies, and broadcasters are not reaching persons with visual and hearing impairments.
Following consultation with its stakeholders, the Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) prepared this submission to the Kenyan Senate COVID-19 Ad Hoc Committee, with a series of recommendations related to ICT solutions to confront the pandemic.
In a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that people are able to obtain information that will help them stay safe and aware of an evolving situation, and initiatives like these are crucial for reducing the traditional barriers to information that prevent global access.

Association for Progressive Communications (APC) 2022
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