Internet rights
APC and 14 other organisations have joined together to send a public letter to the newly appointed Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) Executive Director Nicholas Rasmussen to apprise him of threats to human rights posed by GIFCT.
The 2020 RightsCon will take place online from 27 to 31 July. Throughout the program we plan to promote a global South perspective for human rights online, including by supporting and promoting the important work of APC members.
HRC44 wrapped up on 14 July. The internet and new technologies were in focus to a significant degree, with a number of resolutions, panels and reports touching on the online dimension of human rights. Here are some highlights of outcomes relating to human rights online at this past session.
Because of the pandemic, more people are staying home and enjoying the benefits of technology. Women, however, can have a different online experience as gender-based violence manifests in various ways in virtual spaces.
Because of the pandemic, India has been under lockdown since March. What does this mean for rural communities, only 20% of whom have access to the internet? Community networks established by organisations like Digital Empowerment Foundation are bringing critical services to 100 villages of India.
Last month the Economic Community of West African States Community Court of Justice ruled that the 2017 internet shutdown in Togo was illegal. But barely a week later, Ethiopia initiated a nationwide shutdown, serving as a reminder of the persistent threat of internet shutdowns on the continent.
On the third episode of Pretty Good Podcast, ARTICLE 19 digital programme officer Vidushi Marda dissects the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the region’s response to COVID-19 and what the new applications of this technology mean for digital rights after the pandemic.
The Philippine government has launched an exposure notification application, StaySafe.ph, which aims to contain the pandemic in the country. While the effort is commendable, the importance of combating COVID-19 while protecting people’s individual freedoms cannot be emphasised enough.
Students are facing infrastructural challenges in attending online classes, which are mandatory. The unavailability of quality access to the internet is causing massive challenges for students who are solely dependent on online platforms for education during COVID-19.
APC submits this written statement ahead of the Human Rights Council's 44th session to express our concerns about the online human rights implications of states’ measures adopted to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.

Association for Progressive Communications (APC) 2020
Unless otherwise stated, content on the APC website is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
