Community networks newsletter: What changes when connectivity is rooted in communities? 28 March 2024 By APCNews

By being rooted in their own communities and encouraging collective articulation, a community network can became a catalyst for rethinking digital spaces and build more inclusive practices – as the pieces collated for this issue show.

Feminist #TechJoy! nurtures networks of safety and trust through small grants 28 March 2024 By APCNews

APC Women’s Rights Programme is delighted to announce the successful applicants for the first round of its small grants programme, Exploring Feminist #TechJoy! We will distribute the next call around June 2024.

Rights watered down in draft privacy and data protection bill in Namibia 27 March 2024 By Frederico Links

Some of the areas of specific human rights concern raised about the 2022 draft were underdeveloped consent provisions, the almost complete absence of protections for data subjects, and the absence of carve-outs for journalistic, artistic and academic data collection and processing.

Southern Africa Digital Rights Issue Number 3: SADC's Rocky Path - The challenges of biometric and digital identity systems

Online digest

Southern Africa Digital Rights Issue Number 3: SADC's Rocky Path - The challenges of biometric and digital identity systems

This issue of Digital Rights Southern Africa makes clear that there is no or slow commensurate roll-out of measures to ensure that biometric data collection and processing systems are secure and to the actual benefit of the societies in which they are being implemented.

APC statement at the OEWG Virtual Informal Dialogue with the Chair

Statement

APC statement at the OEWG Virtual Informal Dialogue with the Chair

APC believes that civil society has a key role to play in the implementation of cybersecurity norms through research grounded in local and national contexts, and increasing awareness and building capacity of stakeholders for norms compliance.

APC submission on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, in relation to the human rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly

Submission

APC submission on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, in relation to the human rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly

This submission was developed in response to the call for input from the UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, for a thematic report addressing the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.

Hybrid events guide 101

Guide

Hybrid events guide 101

This guide is aimed at hosts who want to hold and facilitate hybrid convenings/events, and is based on APC’s experience and learning from the last two years. This new format requires a double effort to plan, run and support the event in such a way that all participants feel part of the...

Southern Africa Digital Rights Issue Number 2: Privacy at risk – challenges to data and online security

Online digest

Southern Africa Digital Rights Issue Number 2: Privacy at risk – challenges to data and online security

What this edition of Southern Africa Digital Rights serves to spotlight is that privacy and data protections remain and will continue to remain areas that civil society in the region must continue to monitor and address.

APC statement to the informal stakeholders consultation during preparations for the zero draft of the Global Digital Compact

Statement

APC statement to the informal stakeholders consultation during preparations for the zero draft of the Global Digital Compact

In its contribution to this round of consultations, APC stressed the vital importance of ensuring the effective consideration of civil society voices in the Global Digital Compact negotiation phase.

Coalition of international organisations demands that Meta refrain from censoring criticism of Zionism on its platforms

Joint open letter

Coalition of international organisations demands that Meta refrain from censoring criticism of Zionism on its platforms

This open letter expresses deep concern over Meta's proposed revision of its hate speech policy regarding the term "Zionist" and the potential to treat it as a proxy for Jewish and/or Israeli, which will ultimately lead to severe restrictions on legitimate political speech and debate.

Open letter to the Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Cybercrime

Joint letter

Open letter to the Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Cybercrime

Organisations spanning civil society, industry and the technical community, including APC, urge governments to consider withholding support for the draft UN cybercrime treaty in its current incarnation. If adopted without major changes, this treaty's risks far outweigh its potential benefits.

Policy explainers

Seeding change: Community network tackles the digital divide and boosts the creation of local content  25 March 2024 Débora Prado

Learn about the Portal Sem Porteiras community network, an initiative by residents of a rural neighbourhood who are promoting community-centred connectivity, local content creation and technological innovation in Brazil.

The Meta-Israel nexus: Silencing Palestinian voices in the digital landscape 20 March 2024 Eric Sype

Meta is complicit in the oppression, and now plausible genocide, of the Palestinian people. With over 30,000 Palestinians killed, much of Gaza’s infrastructure destroyed and the threat of widespread famine looming, Meta’s platforms have played a role in creating the digital space that led to this real-world catastrophe.

Genocide in the digital age: What role do social media companies play? 20 March 2024 Marwa Fatafta

In January the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered provisional measures in the case brought by South Africa against Israel, determining the plausibility of genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza. The case raises serious questions about tech companies' role, responsibilities or complicity when their services are used directly or indirectly for spreading incitement to violence and genocide.

Columns

In this weekly column, longstanding associate of APC David Souter looks at different aspects of the digital society. Issues covered include internet governance and sustainable development, human rights and the environment, policy, practice and the use of ICTs.

How are APC members improving their communities' lives? In this section we're highlighting stories of impact and change by our members, supported by APC sub-granting.

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