Security and privacy

The COVID-19 pandemic provided the government with pretext to censor free speech, harass critics, and effectively curb dissent – accelerating what has been an ongoing turn towards authoritarianism in Bangladesh.

There are several factors, some legal, some political and some economic, that continue to impact the exercise of rights online in Zimbabwe, particularly free expression, the right to privacy and access to information.

The AfriSIG Output Document, created by a diverse and dedicated group of stakeholders during this year's AfriSIG, is opening doors for others to come together and explore possibilities for more effective cybersecurity capacity building across Africa.

APC and the other signatories of this open letter stress that India – as the world’s largest democracy, and second largest base of internet users – has an opportunity to draft an exemplary legislation that ensures the protection of human rights in the digital age.

In Indonesia, a rise in hard-line approaches to governance is heralding looming authoritarianism. The COVID-19 pandemic has provided the government there with the opportunity to further accelerate digital authoritarianism through online surveillance, censorship and online manipulation.

In March 2021, shortly before the elections scheduled for August, then Zambian president Edgar Lungu quickly signed and enacted three internet-related laws, one of which has remained especially problematic into 2022: the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act.

The toll of unrestrained cyber operations on human security mounts daily and as such, discussions and decisions arising from the relevant UN processes need to address them more effectively. These efforts should be guided by human-centric and rights-based approaches.

We want the collective power of communities within and beyond the APC network to be harnessed through existing and new relationships built around transformative actions and our shared visions. Check out our achievements in this area in 2021.