20 Dec ’20: Responsible Tech Bulletin (Africa)

Subhashish Bhadra
2 min readDec 20, 2020

1) Digital Rights Lawyers’ Initiative and Paradigm Initiative filed a suit against the Nigerian Government for forcing Nigerians to sign up for the National ID in two weeks, or face disconnection of their mobile phone connections. https://bit.ly/3p5qBf5

2) Strathmore University evaluated social media posts from 11 African countries and highlighted three categories of risks related to Digital ID — those in accessing ID, related to ID (e.g. privacy), and operational issues (e.g. internet or electricity). https://bit.ly/3p9HgOq

3) Paradigm Initiative wrote a blog post about how the Ethiopian government shut down internet for third time in 2020, and how it is exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Tigray. Just like free speech is protected constitutionally, blocking internet access should have more safeguards. https://bit.ly/3auhRuS

4) Africa Freedom of Information Centre wrote a report on the state of access to information and elections in Uganda amidst approaching elections, calls by the govt to shut down anti-govt YouTube channels and fears of an internet shutdown. https://bit.ly/38kkzR0

5) Paradigm Initiative helped draft civil society led Digital Rights and Freedoms bill for Tanzania and is seeking public inputs. It embraces the full mosaic of digital rights, including privacy, free speech, peaceful assembly, and right to information. http://bit.ly/38kl79w

6) Paradigm Initiative responded to the UN Human Rights High Commissioner’s draft on children’s rights in digital environment. It highlighted the need to bridge the digital divide (esp for disabilities), access to birth registration and rehabilitation for child offenders https://bit.ly/3rdWvYz

7) Research ICT Africa moderated a panel on the topic at the World Press Freedom Conference 2020 on online content regulation and finding the fine balance between freedom of expression and safe digital spaces. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJO1ceDTyFE

8) Paradigm Initiative published a toolkit for digital rights actors to protect themselves from cyber-attacks. It provides tips against phishing attacks, denial of service (DoS) and man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks, surveillance, fake domains, and cyber-stalking https://bit.ly/3hbAPI8

9) Research ICT Africa presented at the Science Forum South Africa 2020, calling for a Digital New Deal for Africa that includes a global digital tax, global governance of public goods (like the internet), and more room for African voices. https://bit.ly/38nFlir

10) Paradigm Initiative published a blog that enlisted digital rights restrictions during Tanzania’s recent elections, which included restricted access to social media and suspended SMSs https://bit.ly/38jK8lg

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Subhashish Bhadra

Author, Caged Tiger: How Too Much Government is Holding Indians Back. Rhodes Scholar, Stephanian.