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27Feb

CIPESA Submits Comments to Uganda Communications Commission on Improving Access to ICT for Persons With Disabilities

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By Daniel Mwesigwa |

Last year, Uganda’s communications regulator commissioned a study to establish the status of access and usage of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) by Persons With Disabilities (PWDs). In response to a call for comments, CIPESA made submissions to the commission, which could help various government agencies to devise strategies that meaningfully improve usage of digital technologies by PWDs.

According to Uganda’s statistics bureau, persons with disabilities comprise 16% of the country’s population of 37.5 million. However, they face various limitations in accessing and using ICT tools and services. The draft report of the study commissioned by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) shows that national ownership of a radio and a mobile phone among PWDs was high at 70% and 69% respectively. Ownership of fixed-line telephones, desktop computers and laptops was very low at 0.5%, 1% and 3.9% respectively. However, 15% of respondents’ households had access to the internet.

Below are highlights from CIPESA’s submission:

1. Disaggregate results by type of disability

While the report highlights respondents’ type of disability (61% had a physical disability, 31% were visually impaired, and 2% had a hearing impairment), it does not show how the nature of disability affects access and usage of ICT. Persons with disabilities are not a homogeneous group and the nature of disability influences how they may perceive, be able to access and to use ICT. It may not be possible therefore to address the distinct needs of different categories of PWDs if data is not disaggregated by type of disability – as indeed it should be disaggregated based on gender, location, income, among other demographics.

2. Comparative analysis of data

The report provides ICT access and usage figures for PWDs (e.g. 69.4% mobile phone ownership; 3.9% had laptop computers and 1% desktop computers; 15% of households had access to the internet). However, these numbers need to be presented and analysed alongside overall national statistics on access and usage if they are to offer direction on the remedial actions needed.

3. Taxes deepening exclusion

Only 14% of respondents had access to a bank account compared to 86% that accessed financial services through other mechanisms such as mobile money, and village savings and loan associations. One third (33%) had access to mobile money, which is lower than the national average of 55%. Further, 41% of the respondents lacked access to any form of financial services, compared to the national average of 22% that is financially excluded.

Worryingly, majority of PWDs (66%) said their use of social media had reduced with the introduction last July of the Over The Top (OTT) tax, while 26% said they were no longer using social media. Only 8% had not changed their usage levels. According to the report, 52% of PWDs access social media on their phones, while 12% access it on their computers.

As CIPESA has previously found, OTT platforms and mobile money networks had considerably eased the lives of PWDs. For example, platforms like WhatsApp were used to disseminate critical information among individuals with hearing impairment before the added cost of using social media rendered them unaffordable to many, who already faced challenges in finding employment and often relied on financial support from others. For UCC and other relevant Uganda Government institutions, these findings should not be taken lightly and should inform policy in this area.

4. Awareness and usage of assistive technologies

Assistive technologies are products, devices, or equipment, used to maintain, increase, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. A very concerning finding in the Report is that 76% of PWDs were not aware of the low-cost Assistive Technologies like manual Perkins Brailler, hand-held magnifiers, hand frames/slates and communication boards. Only 14% of respondents were aware of the Perkins Brailler yet its usage was low at 4%. Just 13% of the respondents were aware of magnifiers yet only 2% used them. Issues of awareness of these technologies, their cost and availability, are apparent. The UCC should offer subsidies for assistive technologies through the universal service access fund, the Rural Communications Development Fund (RCDF).

5. Privacy and data protection

The right to privacy is a core entitlement for every individual under article 27 of the Uganda Constitution. The Persons With Disabilities Act, 2006, section 35 protects PWDs from arbitrary or unlawful interference with their privacy. However, the report does not assess PWDs awareness of their privacy rights or data security skills. Such an assessment is necessary to inform remedies including on capacity development.

6. Public and private sector compliance

Consistent with international conventions and instruments such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as domestic laws such as the national constitution, Persons With Disabilities Act 2006, and the National IT and Disability Policy, the emphasis on inclusion and non-discrimination for PWDs cannot be overlooked if the country is to attain her development goals.

As the government works towards implementing the ICT and Disability Policy, the emphasis on Website Accessibility Guidelines (WAG) can be fast-tracked by auditing compliance with the 2014 ‘Guidelines for Development and Management of Government Websites’ which were developed by the National Information Technology Authority Uganda (NITA-U). Entities that do not comply with universal accessibility standards should be sanctioned.

Further, the Equal Opportunities Commission, working with other relevant entities, should require government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and private enterprises which offer public services to prepare annual statements in which they report on how they have worked towards increasing accessibility and inclusiveness for PWDs.

The full submission can be read here.

22Feb

Déclaration conjointe pour le maintien d’un internet ouvert et sécurisé durant l’élection présidentielle du 24 Février 2019 au Sénégal

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#KeepItOn |

Nous, la coalition pour un Internet libre et ouvert:

Réaffirmons que l’internet ouvert, accessible et sécurisé, en particulier durant les élections, facilite la libre circulation et l’accès à l’information, en plus de favoriser la liberté d’expression en ligne et hors ligne.  

Nos organisations sont préoccupées par la récente tendance d’interférences illégitimes dans les communications en ligne, la déclaration menaçante d’agents publics et des services de sécurité, ainsi que la ratification d’un projet de loi imparfait sur les communications électroniques datant de 2018, peuvent être considérées comme une tentative majeure de faire taire les voix critiques en ligne et de limiter ainsi la liberté d’expression. Le contrôle excessif des médias publics, l’influence et la pression indirecte exercée par le gouvernement en place et ses alliés sur de nombreux médias traditionnels, ainsi que les récents actes de violence à l’encontre de journalistes sont problématiques et affaiblissent le processus démocratique au Sénégal

Nous  demandons d’urgence à toutes les parties prenantes d’assurer la stabilité et l’accessibilité d’internet avant, pendant et après la prochaine élection présidentielle du 24 Février 2019 au Sénégal. Au nom des plus de 170 organisations provenant de plus de 60 pays qui forment la coalition #KeepitOn, nous vous implorons de garder l’internet ouvert.

Les coupures d’internet heurtent les droits humains et l’économie

Les recherches montrent que les coupures de courant sur le web et la violence vont de pair. [1], [2] Les coupures perturbent la libre circulation de l’information et créent un masque obscur qui protège les violations des droits de l’homme de tout contrôle public. En particulier durant les élections, les journalistes et les professionnels des médias ne peuvent pas contacter des sources, rassembler des informations ou archiver des articles sans outils de communication numériques [3]. Les citoyens n’ont pas accès aux informations critiques, notamment concernant les bureaux de vote et les résultats des élections. Justifiées par diverses raisons, les interruptions du web coupent l’accès à des informations vitales, au commerce électronique et aux services d’urgence, plongeant des communautés entières dans la peur. Les perturbations déstabilisent également la capacité d’internet à soutenir les petites entreprises et à stimuler le développement économique. Une étude réalisée en 2016 par la Brookings Institution, un groupe de recherche de premier plan, a révélé que les coupures d’internet avaient drainé 2,4 milliards de dollars de l’économie mondiale entre 2015 et 2016 [4].

Un internet ouvert favorise la créativité, l’innovation, l’accès à l’information et à des opportunités sociales, économiques, culturelles et politiques à travers le monde, comme aucun outil ne l’a fait auparavant. Les moyens techniques utilisés pour bloquer l’accès à l’information en ligne compromettent souvent de manière dangereuse la stabilité et la résilience d’internet. Les coupures d’internet ne doivent jamais devenir une normalité.

Au Sénégal, l’extension de l’accès à l’internet global demeure un facteur clé pour la réduction des fractures numériques et pour la concrétisation des engagements du Gouvernement envers sa stratégie Sénégal numérique 2016-2025 et les Objectifs De Développement durable (SDG). Nous estimons que les coupures d’internet coûteront au Sénégal près de   3 400 000 $ US environ en CFA 1 870 000 000 par jour en coûts économiques directs, en plus de ralentir la réalisation des droits économiques, sociaux et culturels dans son ensemble. [5]

Les coupures d’internet violent la loi internationale

Un nombre croissant de constatations et de conclusions indiquent que des perturbations intentionnelles de l’internet constituent une violation du droit international. Le Conseil des droits de l’homme des Nations Unies et l’Assemblée générale des Nations Unies ont adopté par consensus de nombreuses résolutions condamnant sans ambiguïté les coupures d’internet et les restrictions similaires à la liberté d’expression en ligne. Par exemple, le Conseil des droits de l’homme des Nations Unies dans sa résolution A/HRC/RES/32/13:

Condamne sans équivoque les mesures visant à empêcher ou à perturber intentionnellement l’accès ou la diffusion d’information en ligne, en violation des Droits humains protégés internationalement, et appelle tous les États à s’abstenir et cesser d’utiliser de telles pratiques.

Des experts des Nations Unies, de l’Organisation pour la sécurité et la coopération en Europe (OSCE), de l’Organisation des États américains (OEA) et de la Commission Africaine des Droits de l’Homme et des Peuples (CADHP) ont déclaré qu’une coupure d’internet ne peut jamais être justifiée sous le droit international relatif aux droits de l’homme, même en période de conflit. [6]

En novembre 2016, la Commission Africaine Des droits de l’ Hommes et des Peuples (CADHP) a adopté une résolution sur le droit à la liberté d’information et d’expression pour l’internet en Afrique, exprimant sa préoccupation face à «une pratique émergente des États d’interrompre ou de limiter l’accès aux services de télécommunication tels qu’internet, les médias sociaux et les services de messagerie, pratique de plus en plus courante durant les élections.» CADHP/Rés.362 (LIX).

Le Comité des droits de l’homme des Nations Unies, interprète officiel du Pacte international relatif aux droits civils et politiques, souligne dans l’Observation générale no. 34 que les restrictions sur le discours en ligne doivent être strictement nécessaires et proportionnées pour atteindre un objectif légitime. [7] Les coupures, en revanche, ont un impact disproportionné sur tous les utilisateurs et limitent inutilement l’accès à l’information et aux communications des services d’urgence lors de moments cruciaux. Les arrêts d’internet ne sont ni nécessaires ni efficaces pour atteindre un objectif légitime, car ils bloquent la diffusion d’informations, contribuent à la confusion et au désordre, en plus d’entraver la sécurité publique.

Nous vous demandons respectueusement d’utiliser votre position d’influence afin de:

  • Veiller à ce que l’internet, y compris les médias sociaux, demeure actif et accessible ;
  • Déclarer publiquement votre engagement à conserver l’internet ouvert et à informer le public de toute perturbation ;
  • Encourager les fournisseurs de services de télécommunication et d’internet à respecter les droits humains par la divulgation publique de politiques et de pratiques affectant les utilisateurs ;
  • Veiller au respect des directives de la déclaration Africaine des Droits et Libertés de l’Internet ;

Veiller au respect des directives sur l’Accès à l’Information et les Élections en Afrique.

                                                                                                Fait à Dakar, 19 février 2019

Access Now

African Development Solution Lab-Experts ( ADSL-E)

African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX)

AFRICTIVISTES

Alioune NDIAYE – Presidentrzd

Alliance for Affordable Internet – A4AI

APPEL

ARTICLE 19 Afrique de l’Est

ARTICLE 19 Sénégal Afrique de l’Ouest

Assane DIENG Etudiant – Chercheur

Association for Progressive Communications (APC)

ASUTIC

Bacary Domingo MANE – Journaliste

Balkissa Idé Siddo  

Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA)

Collectif Sassoufit

Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

CONGAD

Directeur de Pub www. Sene24.com

Emmanuelle M. FAYE – Journaliste Enquête

FORUM CIVIL

Forum for African Women Educationalists FORUM CIVIL

Human Rights Centre Somaliland

Ibra Seck CASSIS – Senegal Vote

Ibrahima NDOYE – Directeur de Pub www. Sene24.com

Internet Sans Frontières

Jeune Chambre Internationale

LSDH APPEL

Magueye SOW – Atlas Network

Media Foundation for West Africa

Modibo DIOP – Euratrade SA

Moussa Fara DIOP – Jeune Chambre Internationale

Moussa TALL – AIESEC

NetBlocks

OpenNet Africa

Oumy Régina SAMBOU – Journaliste

Paradigm Initiative

PEN America

RADDHO

Right 2 Know Campaign, South Africa

The PACT ( Projet pour une alternance crédible au Tchad )

Unwanted Witness, Uganda

World Wide Web Foundation

15Feb

#KeepItOn: Nigeria Urged to Ensure Online Communications Remain Accessible During Elections

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By Juliet Nanfuka |

The Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) has joined the #KeepItOn coalition in urging the Nigerian Authorities to ensure that access to digital communications remains open before, during and after the elections which take place on February 16, 2019.

The call implores the state to reaffirm its commitment to keep the internet during this critical political time. It also notes that a shutdown down could cost the country an estimated $134,251,654 per day in direct economic costs, and impact on the realization of economic, social, and cultural rights broadly.

Disruptions to online communications contribute to economic impacts which persist far beyond the days in which access is disrupted due to systemic effects which harm efficiency throughout the economy. Internet shutdowns, however short-lived, undermine economic growth, and erode business confidence as global and national perceptions on the offending country are also affected.

Framework for Calculating the Economic Impact of Internet Shutdowns in Sub-Sahara Africa

Meanwhile, concerns of a shutdown have remained among citizens, leading to information being shared on how to stay online in the event of a network disruption.

Increasingly, disruptions to communications have occurred around election times and during public protest often related to the political regime.  Among some of the cases  include  Equatorial Guinea which in November 2016 blocked access to the internet and to opposition websites ahead of a nationwide election; Uganda also in 2016, blocked access to social media sites and mobile money transactions on two occasions due to election related events; while that same year, Gabon blocked social media access and also imposed a curfew on internet access following widespread conflicts disputed presidential election results. Last year, Togo interrupted communication following public protests against President Gnassingbe, whose family has ruled the country for over half a century. At the start of this year, DR Congo blocked access to “preserve public order after ‘fictitious results’ started circulating on social media.”  

See the joint letter on keeping the internet open and secure here.

31Jan

Social Media Tax Cuts Ugandan Internet Users by Five Million, Penetration Down From 47% to 35%

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By Juliet Nanfuka |

The tax which the Uganda government introduced on use of social media last July has slashed the number of internet users in the country by five million in three months, according to figures from the industry regulator, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC). The numbers also show that revenue from the tax is far from the windfall which government had predicted the tax would add to the national treasury.

The figures released by the commission show that only half of the country’s internet subscribers were paying the Over-The-Top (OTT) service tax in the third month after its introduction. Those paying the tax fell from eight million subscribers in July to 6.8 million in September. In June 2018, a month before the introduction of the tax, the internet penetration rate in Uganda stood at 47.4% (18.5 million internet users) but three months later, it had fallen to 35% (13.5million users).

Monthly revenue from the tax was equally on a downward trend, falling from Uganda Shillings (UGX) 5.6 billion (USD 1.5 Million) in July 2018, to UGX 4.09 billion (USD 1.1 Million) in August 2018 and further to UGX 3.96 billion (USD 1.08 Million) in September 2018.

The figures from the UCC  suggest that many internet users may have stopped accessing the internet altogether since July. But they also reflect the growing number of Ugandans who are using virtual private networks (VPNs) as a means to continue accessing social media while avoiding to pay the daily  OTT tax of UGX 200 ( USD 0.05).

The figures from the regulator appear to confirm the fears expressed by many upon the introduction of the tax, that it would harm the sector by undermining internet access and affordability, while also threatening access to information and freedom of expression.

Upon the introduction of the social media taxes last July, the government had anticipated revenue collections of up to UGX 400 billion (USD 108 million) per annum, while projections from the June 14 national budget speech for the fiscal year 2018/19 had projected that up to UGX 486 billion (USD 131 million) could be collected annually by 2022. 

Earlier this month, Uganda’s ICT minister Frank Tumwebaze hinted that his ministry may have been misled by the finance ministry  into supporting the tax on the assumption that it would widen the country’s revenue base. Accordingly, parliament’s committee on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ordered the ICT ministry to conduct an assessment on the impact of the social media tax and share their views with the finance ministry.   

Earlier studies forecast the negative impact of the tax. The Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) said the tax would likely push basic connectivity further out of reach for millions, as it would disproportionately and negatively impact low-income Ugandans and their ability to affordably access the internet. It explained that, where the richest Ugandan would experience an increase of 1% in their cost to connect, this cost to connect for Uganda’s poorest would jump by 10%, resulting in just 1GB of data costing them nearly 40% of their average monthly income. According to the World Bank, the average national income stands at USD 630 per annum. 

According to the  2017/18 Uganda National Information Technology Survey, social media platforms are some of the popular avenues for citizens to engage with each other, and to  pursue businesses and education opportunities. At least 76% of the survey respondents cited the price of internet subscription as a key limitation to their internet use. This was followed by concerns over slow internet speeds and the lack of connectivity in some areas.

Image: Internet use limitations in Uganda | Source: 2017/18 Uganda National IT Survey

A study by Research ICT Solutions warned that the OTT tax could lead to lower tax revenues including costing up to UGX 2.8 trillion (USD 760 million) in forgone GDP growth and UGX 400 billion (USD 109 million) in taxes per year. The study argued that removing all excise duties across the ICT sector would lead to more tax revenues by facilitating economic growth and growing tax revenues across all sectors. It added that the more Ugandans that have broadband access, the easier it will be to serve them with e-governance, e-health, e-education and financial services while also growing tax revenues faster.

At an August 2018 multistakeholder meeting hosted by the Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) and the Internet Society Uganda Chapter, stakeholders called for the government to reassess its position on the taxation to ensure a more inclusive financial economy and digital society that does not discriminate or disenfranchise already marginalised and vulnerable communities, including persons with disabilities (PWDs), women, youth and rural communities. Participants at the meeting stressed that the government should instead look at available alternatives for raising government revenue without necessarily taxing citizens and suffocating Uganda’s nascent digital economy.

A study released by Pollicy indicated that many social media users have found the OTT tax frustrating  despite 56% of respondents indicating that they pay the tax compared to the 38% who opt to utilise VPN and the 3% who  access social media platforms through free Wi-Fi. 

16Jan

CIPESA and OpenNet Africa Join Public Call Against  Internet Shutdown in Zimbabwe

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By Juliet Nanfuka |
Zimbabwe has experienced a shutdown of social media platforms and major websites as of January 15, 2019 following public protests against a 150% increase in fuel prices. The protests have resulted in the death of at least eight people and arrest of up to 200 others. The disruptions to online communications were reported on social media and also confirmed by network measurements conducted by Netblocks.


The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) and its internet freedoms initiative OpenNet Africa have joined over 20 civil society organisations in calling for the restoration of internet access in the country. A letter sent to Kazembe Kazembe, the Minister of Information Communication Technology and Cyber Security, implores the government to “ensure the stability and openness of the internet in Zimbabwe.” The letter was delivered as part of the #KeepItOn coalition, which represents more than 175 organisations in 60 countries.
As at time of writing, no statement on the shut down had been released by the government, telecommunications companies, or the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ).
The shutdown is doing little to alleviate the economic crisis in Zimbabwe. Projections show that the country can lose at least USD 5.7 million per day in direct economic costs, according to estimates using the COST tool by NetBlocks and the Internet Society. The tool references a framework for calculating the economic impact of shutdowns developed by CIPESA.
Further, the economic impact of the shutdown is likely to persist far beyond the days in which access is disrupted due to systemic effects which harm efficiency throughout the economy. Internet shutdowns, however short-lived, undermine economic growth, and erode business confidence as global and national perceptions on the offending country are also affected.
The joint letter notes that the UN Human Rights Committee, the official interpreter of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), emphasises in General Comment no. 34 that restrictions on speech online must be strictly necessary and proportionate to achieve a legitimate purpose.  Shutdowns, by contrast, disproportionately impact all users, and unnecessarily restrict access to information and emergency services during crucial moments. Shutdowns are neither necessary to, nor effective at, achieving a legitimate aim, as they often spread confusion and encourage more people to join public demonstrations.
CIPESA research recommends that governments should desist from ordering shutdowns because they have a high economic impact at micro and macro levels, adversely affecting the livelihoods of citizens, undermining the profitability of business enterprises, and reducing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and competitiveness of countries that implement them. This is also why CIPESA is part of the global campaign #ForTheWeb aimed to get governments, companies and the public to stand up for a  free, open and fair web that works for everyone, everywhere.
See the joint letter here.

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