Human rights and ICTs

Palestine Digital Activism Forum challenges movement restrictions and social isolation due to corona with online conference
Palestine Digital Activism Forum challenges movement restrictions and social isolation due to corona with online conference 02 April 2020 7amleh – The Arab Center for Social Media Development

7amleh concluded the online version of the Palestine Forum for Digital Activism 2020 with the participation of a quarter million Palestinians, Arabs and internationals. The conference was adapted from an offline event with 1,000 participants to an online event in two weeks.

CIPESA on Covid-19 in Africa: When is surveillance necessary and proportionate?
CIPESA on Covid-19 in Africa: When is surveillance necessary and proportionate? 30 March 2020 CIPESA

The extent to which African countries are conducting technology-based disease surveillance is not fully known. While well intentioned, Covid-19 surveillance and data-based tracking interventions have been effected in haste, and with limited precedent and oversight mechanisms. 

SMEX: We demand Ministry of Telecommunications open the fixed and mobile internet capacity and reduce prices during the COVID-19 crisis
SMEX: We demand Ministry of Telecommunications open the fixed and mobile internet capacity and reduce prices during the COVID-19 crisis 27 March 2020 SMEX

The Lebanese government announced on 12 March that Ogero, the national internet service provider (ISP), will double the speed and capacity for users until the end of April, but it did not clarify whether the decision includes other privately owned ISPs.

Digital Rights Monitor: Coronavirus crisis highlights digital divide in Pakistan
Digital Rights Monitor: Coronavirus crisis highlights digital divide in Pakistan 27 March 2020 Hija Kamran

COVID-19 is revealing the extent of the digital divide in Pakistan, and it has resulted in Pakistanis mobilizing on Twitter to demand affordable and accessible Internet services.

APC submission to the UN Human Rights Council 44th session report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
APC submission to the UN Human Rights Council 44th session report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association 26 March 2020 APC

APC welcomes the invitation of the Special Rapporteur to reflect on the mandate and to provide its inputs regarding growing challenges for the exercise of these rights offline and online.

7amleh: Netanyahu imposes dangerous “Big Brother” surveillance under the pretext of a security response to the coronavirus
7amleh: Netanyahu imposes dangerous “Big Brother” surveillance under the pretext of a security response to the coronavirus 23 March 2020 7amleh – The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media

7amleh – The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media warns of Israel committing mass violations of digital rights, especially the right to privacy, under the pretext of managing the health crisis caused by the coronavirus.

Ecuador: Surveillance technologies implemented to confront COVID-19 must not endanger human rights
Ecuador: Surveillance technologies implemented to confront COVID-19 must not endanger human rights 19 March 2020 APC and Derechos Digitales

The undersigned organisations express their concern over the announcement of the use of satellite monitoring and georeferencing systems to track individuals as part of the disease containment measures established in Ecuador to confront the COVID-19 epidemic.

APC member organisation EngageMedia celebrates 15 years of digital rights, video for change, and open technology
APC member organisation EngageMedia celebrates 15 years of digital rights, video for change, and open technology 13 March 2020 EngageMedia

Fifteen years ago, two youngsters met in a small house in Melbourne with the idea to build an online space for social issue documentaries from the Asia-Pacific. Today, the idea may seem a little banal. But the internet is no longer the free and open space it once was.

Defending freedom of expression and ensuring the safety and security of journalists in Bangladesh
Defending freedom of expression and ensuring the safety and security of journalists in Bangladesh 10 March 2020 Voices for Interactive Choice and Empowerment (VOICE)

In the face of a rising number of attacks on journalists in Bangladesh, Voices for Interactive Choice and Empowerment (VOICE), an APC member organisation, hosted a day-long media training workshop to discuss the challenges faced by journalists and explore solutions for this growing problem.

HRC43: APC statement on the situation of human rights in Myanmar
HRC43: APC statement on the situation of human rights in Myanmar 10 March 2020 APC

APC and the Myanmar ICT for Development Organization thank the Special Rapporteur for her report on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, particularly for highlighting how ICTs are being leveraged to perpetuate violations against religious minorities such as the Rohingya.

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