ICT policy

Privacy and the pandemic: An African response
Privacy and the pandemic: An African response 21 June 2020 Gabriella Razzano

COVID-19 has led to a surge of efforts by both state and private actors to manage the pandemic itself, and the consequences of it, with the aid of technology. Yet privacy has immediately been cast as a required trade-off in the efforts to combat the disease.

#DigitalLawsAsia
#DigitalLawsAsia 19 June 2020 Nerissa Naidoo for CYRILLA

From 10 - 12 June, CYRILLA and APC hosted a Twitter campaign. The purpose of #DigitalLawsAsia was to explore the human rights impacts of digital regulation in South and Southeast Asia.

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.

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.

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.

FMA: Human rights groups condemn Philippine Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, call for mass resistance
FMA: Human rights groups condemn Philippine Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, call for mass resistance 08 June 2020 Foundation for Media Alternatives

The House of Representatives has approved a controversial anti-terrorism bill and is rushing it through final reading. Human rights groups are condemning the grossly misplaced priorities of the Philippine Congress when the people are struggling with a global pandemic.

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