The Ugandan government finally restored internet and social media services in the country following nearly a month of social media blockage. According to a statement from the State Minister for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Peter Ogwang’, the government has also apologised for the inconveniences the blockade had caused while also stating the act as […]
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Myanmar’s military government is mulling a new suite of cyber-security laws that seem designed to restrict the ongoing mobilization of its opponents, according to a coalition of local civil society organizations.
In a statement issued on February 11, the government gave 36 pages outlining the proposed laws to mobile operators and telecommunications license holders for comment on February 9, eight days after the army overthrew the elected government led by the National League for Democracy.
“The ‘bill’ includes clauses which violate human rights including the rights to freedom of expression, data protection and privacy, and other democratic principles,” the coalition said in its statement. It added that the bill was clearly “drafted by the current military regime to oppress those who are against its rule, and to restrict the mobilization and momentum of online resistance.”
February 10, 2021
On Jan. 11, Facebook and Twitter announced that they had taken down a network in Uganda, linked to the country’s ministry for information, for posting using fake and duplicate accounts. The platforms said that the fake accounts were participating in “coordinated inauthentic behavior” to target public discourse before the election.
The Uganda Communications Commission swiftly followed up by shutting down the internet, including all messaging apps and social media platforms, from Jan. 12. This ban provides insight into how authoritarian regimes are likely to wrestle with the power of social media companies: by simply shutting them out.
There is an inherent friction in having an authoritarian government running in parallel with an open, freely accessible internet. The initial wave of internet regulation in Africa mostly targeted users, with hate speech and misinformation laws as well as the imposition of digital taxes. The second wave of internet regulation