18 Sep 2023
Laws restricting disinformation in Sub-Saharan Africa: impacts of their enforcement on freedom of expression
For the last several years, a consortium of civil society organisations has been tracking and analysing government responses to online disinformation in Sub-Saharan Africa, examining their coherence with international and regional human rights law and standards.
This brief explores how governments in the region are enforcing laws and policies on disinformation, drawing on the 80 examples of enforcement that are included on LEXOTA. On analysis, four thematic trends around enforcement actions across the region emerge, all of which raise concerns for human rights.