Security and privacy

Towards digital authoritarianism in Nepal: Surveillance, data collection, and online repression
Towards digital authoritarianism in Nepal: Surveillance, data collection, and online repression 05 December 2022 Samik Kharel

The government’s COVID-19 response opened the door to various threats to human and digital rights. With the influence of its neighbours with poor rights records, Nepal must decide on its own path if it envisions a democratic digital ecosystem.

Disruptive technologies, surveillance as governance: Data (un)democracy in India during COVID-19
Disruptive technologies, surveillance as governance: Data (un)democracy in India during COVID-19 17 November 2022 Preeti Raghunath

India’s focus on a deterministic and ideological usage of technology to manage the COVID-19 health crisis has not only mismanaged the pandemic, but has pushed the country to contend with Orwellian realities.

Rich white boys’ takeover of spaces of organising: Should you stay or should you go?
Rich white boys’ takeover of spaces of organising: Should you stay or should you go? 10 November 2022 Nyx McLean for GenderIT.org

As rich white men like Elon Musk own and control online platforms, these spaces are becoming more and more unwelcoming for queer and marginalised people. As individuals who have made and found communities in these spaces, should we leave our place on platforms like Twitter?

Digital authoritarianism in Bangladesh: Weaponising a draconian law to silence dissent in the pandemic era
Digital authoritarianism in Bangladesh: Weaponising a draconian law to silence dissent in the pandemic era 10 November 2022 Zayed Siddiki

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.

Affordable connectivity and privacy violations plague Zimbabwe
Affordable connectivity and privacy violations plague Zimbabwe 08 November 2022 Otto Saki and Nompilo Simanje

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.

AfriSIG 2022: Real-life multistakeholder collaboration is difficult but essential for issues like cybersecurity
AfriSIG 2022: Real-life multistakeholder collaboration is difficult but essential for issues like cybersecurity 27 October 2022 Maja Romano

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.

International coalition calls for withdrawal of Draft Indian Telco Bill: Provisions threaten end-to-end encryption
International coalition calls for withdrawal of Draft Indian Telco Bill: Provisions threaten end-to-end encryption 27 October 2022 Various

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.

Advocating for human rights online and offline in 2021
Advocating for human rights online and offline in 2021 26 October 2022 APCNews

We want people, especially those facing discrimination and oppression, to have greater power and autonomy through digital technologies to exercise their full range of human rights online and offline. Check out our achievements in this area in 2021.

A COVID-19 power grab: Looming digital authoritarianism in Indonesia
A COVID-19 power grab: Looming digital authoritarianism in Indonesia 25 October 2022 Damar Juniarto

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.

Lungu law looms dangerously over Zambian digital rights
Lungu law looms dangerously over Zambian digital rights 24 October 2022 Susan Mwape

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.

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