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10Nov

Disinformation and the Search for Guardians of Truth

Author CIPESA Posted on

By Juliet Nanfuka |

Disinformation has had a significant influence on public opinion and narrative, political discourse, and social cohesion globally. African nations have witnessed a surge in the spread of disinformation, often enabled by social media platforms and an increasingly interconnected digital society as internet penetration grows. This proliferation of disinformation has serious implications for democracy and the enjoyment of fundamental rights, which underscores the urgent need for effective countermeasures.

In many instances, governments appear to be key instigators of disinformation, while non-state actors, including political opposition groups and activists, as well as foreign agents, have sometimes served as key instigators and agents of disinformation. Indeed, one of the primary catalysts behind the rise of disinformation in Africa is the widespread reliance on social media platforms, as for many users on the continent, social media remains the primary way to access the internet. 

As such, leading up to the aptly termed “Year of Democracy” in 2024, when countries making up over 50% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will undergo elections, various efforts have been undertaken to understand and counter disinformation. The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) has been involved in various such initiatives, including research to document and understand disinformation in Africa.

In June 2020, CIPESA joined a coalition of civil society groups that launched an interactive portal, (LEXOTA), to track and analyse disinformation laws, policies, and enforcement patterns across Africa. The portal was developed against a backdrop of accelerating state action on Covid-19 disinformation. A 2022 CIPESA study into disinformation in Africa found that the perpetrators, channels, tools, and tactics used in disinformation campaigns have increasingly become complex, diverse, and widespread. 

In March 2023, CIPESA, in partnership with Bertelsmann Stiftung, assembled over 25 experts from 15 African countries in a two-day engagement hosted in Nairobi, Kenya. The engagement was followed by a series of bilateral discussions with government representatives, non-governmental organisations, and journalists to gain additional insights on the manifestation and effects of disinformation. The meeting resulted in a series of takeaways highlighting the need for more research into how disinformation is evolving and the types of efforts required to better and more directly counter disinformation in Africa.

The meeting formed part of the Berterlsmann-Stuftung Upgrade Democracy Initiative which aims to strengthen democracy’s resistance to disinformation, hate and incitement, and polarisation in the age of digitisation by, among others, building bridges between diverse, international actors and disseminating solutions that successfully counter disinformation in their respective contexts or innovatively use digital tools to strengthen democracy.

Disinformation has in recent years also been the focus of sessions at the annual, CIPESA-convened Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) which provides an avenue for the deliberation of the most pressing concerns informing the digital rights landscape. In recent years, disinformation, and its redress have been the focus of various sessions at the Forum. This year. As such, insights from the discussion in Nairobi fed into the recent FIFAfrica, where a collaborative panel discussion titled “Guardians of Truth: Media, Technology, and the Fight Against Disinformation” was hosted by Bertelsmann, CIPESA, and the Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA). The session delved into the multifaceted challenges posed by disinformation campaigns, examining their impact on societies, politics, and public discourse. 

Panelists included Nompilo Simanje, Africa Advocacy and Partnerships Lead at International Press Institute; Obioma Okonkwo, Head of the Legal Department at Media Rights Agenda (Nigeria); Daniel O’Maley, Senior Digital Governance Specialist at the Center for International Media Assistance; Paige Collings, Senior Speech and Privacy Activist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation; and Paul Kimumwe, Senior Program Officer at CIPESA. 

The session also highlighted the challenging position of the media which are facing the brunt of states who are using the grey area of disinformation-related legislation as a basis to curtail freedom of expression and media freedom. The case of Olamilekan Hammed, a Nigerian journalist who was arrested and detained for over 135 days, was noted. Hammed had republished a report about the “alleged criminal records” of a governor in the country.

The use of legislation to censor and silence legitimate speech was also stressed, as were the tensions between state and platform interests when tackling disinformation. An example cited Nigeria suspended Twitter in June 2021 for deleting a post made from the president’s account. Another was of Uganda’s 2021 Uganda elections, when Meta removed several accounts promoting the ruling party, which it accused of coordinated inauthentic behaviour (CIB), and the Uganda government retaliated by blocking access to the internet for five days, and to Meta services up to today. Meta refers to CIB as the use of multiple Facebook or Instagram assets working in concert to misrepresent themselves, artificially boost the popularity of content, or engage in behaviours designed to enable other violations under the platform’s community standards, and where the use of fake accounts is central to the operation. 

Disinformation in Africa is evolving from networks of domestic domestic actors and “influencers for hire” who create and spread disinformation for financial gain to include external actors, entailing foreign governments and non-state entities, who  are increasingly influencing narratives within the continent. This was witnessed in the 2018 Kenya elections where Cambridge Analytica  – a London headquartered company – employed various efforts to sway public opinion in favour of the ruling party. 

Current and future efforts to address disinformation in Africa face an uphill battle as the vice is increasingly driven by political and financial interests at national and global levels. This presents the dual challenge of combating both internal and external sources of disinformation amidst limited fact-checking resources, shrinking access to platform API, growing use of more sinister tactics enabled by artificial intelligence (AI), and limited digital literacy. These dynamics call for more robust national and regional strategies, informed by collaboration between governments, civil society, and the platforms, to effectively counter disinformation and safeguard the integrity of public discourse.

In this regard, CIPESA has been supporting efforts to coalesce regional actors and mobilise continental institutions to fight disinformation. In October 2023, CIPESA, alongside Global Partners Digital, ARTICLE 19 Senegal/West Africa, PROTEGE QV of Cameroon, and the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, provided joint recommendations for addressing disinformation to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) 77th Ordinary Session held in Arusha, Tanzania. 

Disinformation has broadened the need for increased digital savvy and literacy. As the tactics of disinformation continue to evolve, truth will become harder to discern from fiction. CIPESA’s work on disinformation is premised on recognising  that disinformation undermines the resilience and safety of human rights defenders (HRDs) and journalists, hampers free expression and public participation and impairs electoral integrity. Tackling disinformation, therefore, requires a keen understanding of the disinformation ecosystem (instigators, agents, its effects, the ‘disinformation hunters’) and garnering stakeholder perspectives on workable ways to tackle the problem – including growing and developing a community of guardians of truth.  

07Nov

Job Opportunity: Finance and Grants Manager

Author CIPESA Writer Posted on

Announcement |

We are searching for a Finance and Grants Manager who will be responsible for overseeing financial transactions, maintaining accurate financial records, and ensuring compliance with financial policies and regulations. Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis.

Job Title/ Position: Finance and Grants Manager

Type: Full Time National Staff

Location: Kampala, Uganda

Reports to: Executive Director

Contract Length: 3 years (renewable)

Start Date: November/December 2023 (To be shortlisted on rolling basis)

Job Summary

The Finance and Grants Manager is responsible for overseeing financial transactions, maintaining accurate financial records, and ensuring compliance with financial policies and regulations of the USAID funds. This role plays a vital part in the organisation’s financial management and supports decision-making processes by providing accurate and timely financial information. Furthermore, the Manager will support the CIPESA management in donor compliance, timely reporting, project document filing, and project management.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Key Result #1 – Financial Planning and Budgeting (20%)

Key Result #2 – Grant Management (20%)

Key Result #3 – Financial Compliance and Risk Management (20%)

Key Result #4 – Financial Reporting and Analysis (20%)

Key Result #5 – Grants and Funding Strategy (10%)

Key Result #6 – Representation and External Relations (10%)

Education and Experience

  • Degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field (a Masters degree is beneficial)
  • Significant experience in managing and implementing programs in the non-governmental sector, with at least five years in a management position
  • Professional certification (e.g. CPA, CFA) is a plus.
  • Proven experience with USAID regulations and general donor relationships
  • Proven budget management experience coupled with experience in implementing and working in accordance with corporate structures, policies and practices.
  • Experience in proposal-writing, budgeting and financial management.
  • Demonstrated experience with participatory approaches, including capacity building of local institutions
  • Knowledge and experience working with other cultures and sensitive to the cross-cultural issues

Language Skills

  • Proficiency in spoken and written English. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, partners, in English.

NOTE:

The Complete Job Description is available here.

Employment with CIPESA offers an attractive package which includes; a good salary commensurate to one’s role, a good medical insurance package for staff and dependents, provident fund, GPA and provision for other statutory requirements.

CIPESA is an equal opportunity employer. All suitably qualified candidates are encouraged to apply by clearly stating the position applied for in the Subject line and submitting only electronic copies in one pdf file not more than 25MB of an application letter, a detailed CV, contact telephone numbers, copies of relevant testimonials/certificates, names/contact details of three referees, addressed to: Human Resource Manager, CIPESA Email: [email protected] not later than Friday, November 17, 2023 (N.B. Extended to November 21, 2023), at 5:00pm. Consider your application unsuccessful if you don’t hear from us by December 22, 2023.

 Standards of Professional Conduct:

CIPESA strives to provide an environment free from Sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment and Fraud. CIPESA holds a zero-tolerance policy against Sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment and Fraud. CIPESA expects its employees and partners to maintain high ethical standards, protect organizational integrity and reputation, and ensure that CIPESA’s work is carried out in honest and fair methods, in alignment with the CIPESA’s anti-fraud, Safeguarding and associated policies. Violations to stated policies will be subject to corrective action up to and including termination of employment.

Note: All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and may be subject to appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with CIPESA Safeguarding, Anti-Fraud & HR policy. In line with this we will request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of fraud, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By applying, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

06Nov

Addressing The Gender Dynamics of Media Freedom and Journalists’ Safety in Africa

Author CIPESA Posted on

By Juliet Nanfuka |

November 2 marked the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, a  United Nations (UN) recognised day observed annually that serves to draw attention to the level of impunity for crimes against journalists. While impunity for crimes against journalists is high and is a global reality, there is a concerning and continued gender-biased undercurrent that shapes and informs the media landscape in many African countries. As such, some cases of crimes especially against women journalists go unrecognised. The safety of African women journalists is therefore an urgent concern and a key cornerstone of press freedom..

As such, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has embarked on a multi-country project centred on implementing some of the recommendations of the 2022 report on the State of Media Freedom and Safety of Journalists in Africa. 

According to the report, while both men and women journalists in Africa are likely to experience trolling, more women have been sexually harassed and threatened. Further, online attacks against women journalists appear to be increasing exponentially and have also moved offline – with potentially deadly consequences. Yet women journalists who experience abuse online rarely seek justice and often struggle to have their complaints taken seriously and properly investigated. 

Illustrative cases include some from Kenya, where in 2018, several women in the media were the target of smear campaigns on social media platforms, through hashtags, photos, and video-edited graphics depicting nude characters. In 2019, a  female journalist’s phone number was publicly shared on Twitter by Julius Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) political party in South Africa, which resulted in “an avalanche of racialised and sexist abuse, including rape and death threats.” Although the EFF was sued, and the court found that the party had violated the electoral code by failing to “instruct and take reasonable steps to ensure that their supporters do not harass, intimidate, threaten or abuse journalists and especially women”, the case is a microcosm of what women journalists across the continent experience particularly when reporting on politics.    

More broadly, the media landscape in Africa has become rife with arbitrary censorship, especially on the internet, arrests of journalists on the grounds of combating cybercrime, fake news or terrorism, and acts of violence against media personnel that usually go completely unpunished. Although media plurality has improved dramatically on the continent, the gender dynamics remain ever-present, such as few women holding executive positions in media companies. Meanwhile, the increased reliance on technology has seen the affronts experienced by female journalists transferred online with a bigger impact on the profession, which is forcing some out entirely, silencing others from reporting on critical concerns or encouraging a culture of self-censorship. 

Accordingly, the CIPESA/UNESCO collaboration seeks to create avenues of engagement on these concerns and how they undermine the practice of journalism by women. These will be pursued by a series of inperson meetings revolving around recommendations that emerged from the documentation of media freedom and journalist’s safety in Africa. 

This work builds on earlier interventions by CIPESA including the 2020 Women At Web Uganda (#WomenAtWebUg) Masterclass and Reporting Grant which served to increase the visibility of the dynamics faced by Ugandan women online and improve balance, quality and regularity of reporting. Through the Africa Digital Rights Fund (ADRF), CIPESA supported the Women In Media Initiative Somalia (WIMISOM) in building the digital security skills and knowledge of women journalists (print, broadcast and online) and women-led media organisations in Puntland, Somalia and Somaliland as a means of combating threats against female journalists and their sources. 

In 2022, CIPESA joined the Uganda Media Sector Working Group (UMSWG) in the commemoration of World Press Freedom Day where the theme “Journalism Under Digital Siege” was the focus of deliberation. Discussion at the UMSWF meeting resonated with insights that emerged from research in Namibia. In 2022, the ADRF provided support to the Internet Society – Namibia Chapter to develop a country situational assessment on the state of online violence against girls and women in Namibia. The assessment reaffirmed the experiences of Namibian journalists as similar to those worldwide. It noted that, “where online attacks against women journalists have political motives, where political

actors, extremist networks and partisan media are identified as instigators and amplifiers of online violence against women journalists.”

In May 2023, in recognition of International Women’s Day (IWD), CIPESA hosted a regional webinar titled “Tech4Equality: Advocating for Gender Inclusive ICT Policy and governance” that assembled gender experts from a host of countries including Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. This was complemented by efforts in Cameroon where CIPESA alongside Civic Watch and DefyHateNow engaged women journalists at a workshop on the opportunities for embracing technology while also being alive to the challenges inherent to journalism in the digital space. 

Meanwhile, gender inequalities, bias and the media have been key points of deliberation at the annual Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) which this year marked a decade. It entailed a workshop in which partners including the National Democratic Institute (NDI), Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET), Pollicy, AfricTivistes, and Internews presented insights from their work and recommended multi-stakeholder interventions to address online violence against women.

As more women in the media operate in environments rifled with gender-based challenges and threats that stem from deeply ingrained societal norms, collaborative efforts are required for more impactful responses to be reached. This is fundamental as the role of women journalists in shaping narratives and advancing social progress in Africa should be prioritised.

03Nov

African Perspectives on Operationalising UNESCO’s Guidelines for Regulating Digital Platforms

Author CIPESA Posted on

By Juliet Nanfuka |

Across the world, governments are introducing laws to regulate online content. Many of these laws contain provisions that may lead to the increasing removal of legitimate expression as opposed to harmful and illegal content. In turn, the global community continues to grapple with the question of how harmful online content should best be moderated in a manner that does not undermine citizens’ right of access to information and freedom of expression.

On September 28, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held a high-level panel discussion on unpacking African perspectives on the operationalisation of UNESCO’s Guidelines for regulating digital platforms. The session was among the discussions held at the 2023 edition of the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) which assembled organisations from across Africa and beyond to deliberate on reigning concerns in the internet governance and digital rights landscape.

The UNESCO Guidelines (in full referred to as Guidelines for regulating digital platforms: a multistakeholder approach to safeguarding freedom of expression and access to information) aim to safeguard  freedom  of  expression,  access  to information,  and  other  human  rights in the context of the development and implementation of digital platform regulatory  processes. The guidelines outline rights-respecting regulatory processes and promote risk   and system-based processes for content moderation and curation. Following a series of multistakeholder consultations and contributions that started in September 2022 the guidelines have been under review with a launch of the final document yet to be announced. 

The panel featured at FIFAfrica comprised John Bosco Mayiga, Programme Specialist at UNESCO, who moderated the discussion, Hon. Neema Lugangira, Chairperson of the African Parliamentary Network on Internet Governance (APNIG), Grace Githaiga, Convenor of the Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet), Dr. Simon-Peter Kafui Aheto from the University of Ghana, and Samira Danburam, New Media and Security Manager at the Nigerian Communications Commission.

Mayiga noted that there are growing shared concerns by many actors in the digital society on how to better harness the benefits of information platforms while also addressing the challenges that come with it. “There is much to gain with digital transformation. However, amidst hate speech and disinformation, there is also much to lose,” he said.  “How do we move forward leveraging the advantages of the platforms, but also take care of the excesses that happen to be part and parcel of platforms?”

Githaiga noted that there are no fast and easy answers in dealing with the current challenges of content moderation. She further noted that the guidelines will be invaluable in serving as a basis for individual countries, especially as different countries are at different levels of digital regulation while socio-cultural contexts also vary across borders. 

Indeed, various countries, particularly in Africa, are still grappling with navigating issues such as hate speech, disinformation, protecting legitimate online freedom of expression, content moderation, and data privacy. Dr. Kafui-Aheto added that the Internet Universality Indicators (IUI’s) are a great complementary tool to the guidelines. He also stressed that digital literacy, including on regulatory frameworks, is fundamental in the realisation and utilisation of the indicators and the UNESCO guidelines by more stakeholders. 

The speakers discussed the potential paths that the operationalisation of the guidelines in Africa could take. There was consensus amongst panelists on the need to create regional and national multi-stakeholder networks that enable the active participation of diverse groups in the implementation of digital platform regulation. This consensus was reached as the challenge of ensuring that online platforms serve as places where individuals can seek factual information but without fear was a recurring theme across FIFAfrica. 

Ultimately, the session stressed that the creation of an internet of trust cannot be the preserve of any particular group however specialised they are; it should be a collaborative effort that includes all stake-holders.

The guidelines are designed to inform regulatory processes under development or review for digital platforms, in a manner that is consistent with international human rights standards. According to UNESCO, the Guidelines may serve as a resource for policymakers in identifying legitimate objectives, human rights principles, and inclusive and participatory processes that could be considered in policymaking. The guidelines could also inform the policies and practices of digital platforms; and provide an advocacy and accountability tool for civil society.

02Nov

A Call for Cryptocurrencies to Be Regulated in Uganda

Author CIPESA Posted on

By Edrine Wanyama |

The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) has called for the regulation of regulation of cryptocurrencies in Uganda. Through a policy brief which was published in October 2023, CIPESA outlines the potential risks and threats that civil society organisations (CSOs), individuals, companies, financial institutions, media and academia including students potentially face if operations of cryptocurrencies are not checked. 

Uganda’s legislative frameworks though specific including the, Capital Market Authority Act, Cap. 84 Anti-Money Laundering Act (as amended by the Anti-Money Laundering (Amendment of Second Schedule) Instrument, No. 136 of 2020), Foreign Exchange Act of 2004, Electronic Transactions Act, No. 8 of 2011, Electronic Signatures Act, No. 7 of 2011, Computer Misuse Act, No. 2 of 2011 and the National Payment Systems Act, 15 of 2020 recognise the presence and application of cryptocurrencies. However, they appear to be in contradiction with legal developments in the country.

A ruling by Justice Ssekaana Musa in the case of  Silver Kayondo versus Bank of Uganda, Miscellaneous Cause No. 109 of 2022 declared that cryptocurrencies, under the current National Payment System Act, are illegal or unlawful and are not accepted as a general payment instrument; and that the Bank of Uganda had the mandate to issue directives to the licensees under the National Payment System. He added that: “… The current regulatory framework was not designed with cryptocurrencies in mind…”. Although this ruling gives clarity on Uganda’s current position on cryptocurrencies, it leaves further ambiguity over the extent to which other regulations other than the National Payment Systems Act, 2020, can be relied upon in the utilization of cryptocurrencies.

The brief highlights potential strength of cryptocurrencies as including the elimination of middlemen, decentralized usage as well as enhanced security of the consumer. Similarly, the available opportunities include the unique and private nature of transactions between parties and the potential to create more job opportunities in the tech world. However, the associated weaknesses include the unsecure nature of cryptocurrencies, possibility of erroneous transfers and the possible erosion of capital flow measures. Furthermore, the risks associated with use of cryptocurrencies include the near impossible monitoring and track down of illegal activities by governments, possibility of getting locked out of transactions accounts once a private key is lost and the general threat to the effectiveness of monetary policies especially where firms and households prefer to save and invest in crypto assets that are not pegged to domestic fiat currency.

While drawing impetus from other jurisdictions and application of cryptocurrencies, the brief makes reference to Kenya where cryptocurrency companies can only legally operate after acquiring a license from Kenyan authorities to offer transmission services within Kenya; South Africa where the plans to plans to start licensing crypto trading companies to prevent theft, money laundering and undermining of the monetary policy are in high gears; Central African Republic where Bitcoin was regulated in April 2022 but shortly reversed shortly thereafter after intervention from the regional body, the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC); the United States of America where Individuals and businesses that store or exchange any kind of crypto currency have to obtain a cryptocurrency license as operators of Money Service Business (MSB); and in El Salvador which is in full regulation of cryptocurrencies since 2021. 

Meanwhile, CIPESA on September 27, 2023 held an advocacy engagement on strengthening digital rights protection including the potential impacts of cryptocurrencies on CSOs in Uganda. The meeting which attracted more than 60 participants from CSOs, Members of Parliament (MPs), telecommunication companies (telcos), Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and national human rights institutions deliberated ways to strengthen the stakeholder platform for digital rights protection including in access, affordability and realization of rights and livelihoods and the potential impacts of cryptocurrencies on CSOs’ and citizens operations in Uganda.

Cryptocurrencies are portrayed in the policy brief as facilitating digital technologies and with to improve efficiency in trade as they bypass middlemen and all the inconveniences that go with financial transactions in the ordinary business sense. They cannot be disregarded as they are inevitable yet associated with risks and threats which require strategies for mitigation as well as enhancing accountability. 

It is important that Uganda exploits the various approaches for the adoption and application of cryptocurrencies so as guaranty safety and minimize potential risks and threats to consumers. The brief specifically fronts the following recommendations.

Recommendations

  1. Government MDAs, particularly Bank of Uganda, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Uganda Revenue Authority and Finance Intelligence Authority, should clearly define the legal status of cryptocurrencies and avoid the ambiguity under the current regulations for e-transactions so as to be able to enforce them on all inflows and outflows in business and personal accounts. This includes redesigning capital controls to include flows channeled through cryptocurrencies. In the same vein, well-structured regulation on cryptocurrencies would remove uncertainties for other stakeholders in the private sector and thus encourage their engagement in digital transactions involving crypto assets.
  2. The regulatory regime can never be able to effectively catch up or be at the same pace as the technical evolution of cryptocurrencies. As such, Uganda should work with regional and international partners in the establishment and implementation of a global or regional cryptocurrency regulatory treaty that considers the needs and challenges of developing countries. This includes, among others, technological transfer and capacity development; addressing the risks involved in cross border cryptocurrency transactions inclusive of money laundering and jurisdictional issues.
  3. Apart from embracing a regional or international treaty, regional or international economic corporation or collaboration is also necessary due to the cross-border nature in the operation of cryptocurrencies. Uganda and partner States should engage in the sharing of a comprehensive system of information on cryptocurrency development and trading systems. Such information sharing would be beneficial for capacity development, strengthening joint enforcement measures as well as address evasion of capital controls and enforcement of taxes.
  4. As opposed to the general perception that crypto assets fall under the interpretation of securities under the Capital Markets Authority Act, so as to warrant their regulation under that law, clarity is required in this regard. The Capital Markets Authority should develop guiding principles as to how security tokens can be utilized to mitigate any risks due to a confusion in this regard.

See the full brief here

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