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#KeepItOn: Open letter to the government of India on lifting internet restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir during COVID-19 pandemic
#KeepItOn: Open letter to the government of India on lifting internet restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir during COVID-19 pandemic 27 April 2020 Various

APC joined the #KeepItOn coalition and 41 international rights groups from around the world in an open letter urgently calling on the government of India to restore access to 4G high-speed internet access as a first step towards the containment of the COVID-19 virus and related health needs.

Open letter on COVID-19 content moderation research
Open letter on COVID-19 content moderation research 22 April 2020 Various

APC joined dozens of other organisations and researchers to call on social media companies to enable future research and analysis about the “infodemic” side of COVID-19 by preserving information about what their systems are automatically blocking and taking down.

Joint civil society open letter to the UN on public-private partnerships
Joint civil society open letter to the UN on public-private partnerships 21 April 2020 Various

The open letter, signed by APC and other civil society organisations, emphasises the fundamental importance of ensuring transparency and adequately assessing the human rights impact of any public-private partnerships that the UN may enter into, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Social media’s response to COVID-19 misinformation
Social media’s response to COVID-19 misinformation 21 April 2020 Carmen Ferri

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.

VOICE: The whole-of-society approach to the COVID-19 pandemic
VOICE: The whole-of-society approach to the COVID-19 pandemic 20 April 2020 VOICE

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. 

Unwanted Witness: Internet barriers constrain the work of Ugandan human rights defenders amidst COVID-19 pandemic
Unwanted Witness: Internet barriers constrain the work of Ugandan human rights defenders amidst COVID-19 pandemic 20 April 2020 Unwanted Witness

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?

Civil society comments on Kenya's "Draft Dynamic Spectrum Access Framework for Authorisation of the Use of TV White Spaces"
Civil society comments on Kenya's "Draft Dynamic Spectrum Access Framework for Authorisation of the Use of TV White Spaces" 17 April 2020 Various

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.

DEF releases COVID-19 digital emergency relief programme
DEF releases COVID-19 digital emergency relief programme 17 April 2020 Digital Empowerment Foundation

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.

7amleh recognised with Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Award 2020
7amleh recognised with Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Award 2020 16 April 2020 7amleh – The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media

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.

The resilience of Kenya’s internet freedoms during the COVID-19 pandemic
The resilience of Kenya’s internet freedoms during the COVID-19 pandemic 15 April 2020 Liz Orembo for KICTANet

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.

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