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…

Laws restricting disinformation in Sub-Saharan Africa: the state of play in 2023

For the last several years, a consortium of civil society organisationsi has been tracking and analysing government responses to online disinformation in Sub-Saharan Africa. While it is important to find ways of addressing the harms posed by the proliferation of disinformation online, the research has shown that many laws and…

Guía para Cibernormas Inclusivas

Las perspectivas de grupos marginados, particularmente de mujeres y comunidades LGBTQ+, suelen estar ausentes en discusiones sobre cibernormas. Este es un problema serio, ya que los grupos marginados suelen ser objeto de más amenazas en el ciberespacio. Nuestro conjunto de herramientas está destinado a responsables de políticas públicas y otros…

Inclusive Cyber Norms Toolkit

Marginalised perspectives, particularly from women and LGBTQ+ communities, are largely absent in current cyber norm discussions. This is a serious issue, as marginalised groups often face elevated and specific threats in cyberspace Our bespoke toolkit provides policymakers and other stakeholders with a range of resources to…

Evading Accountability Through Internet Shutdowns: Trends in Africa and the Middle East

Governments around the world frequently use internet shutdowns to disguise and evade accountability for grave human rights violations, including illegitimate grabs for power, state-sanctioned violence against peaceful protestors and even extrajudicial killings of political dissidents. This paper draws attention to key examples of this happening in recent years across Africa…

Application of International Law In Cyberspace: Human Rights Assessment Guide

The applicability of international law in cyberspace has long had broad consensus in the international community. But, until recently, it was uncommon to see official, detailed state positions on it. And even now, the total number of states providing such positions remains low. From a human rights perspective, it’s critical…

Engaging Tech Companies on Human Rights: A How-To Guide for Civil Society

This guide, jointly developed with the Global Network Initiative, aims to support civil society organisations in engaging with the tech sector around issues affecting human rights. It is structured in three parts: Part I identifies and explains the role of key actors within the tech…