News

Announcement | The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) is the newest member of the civil society constituency of the Global Network Initiative. CIPESA works to inform policymakers and other stakeholders across the African continent about the connection between rights-based ICT policies and good governance and improved livelihoods. GNI will […] Read More

By Alliance For Affordable Internet | Uganda’s government has passed a new tax that will require citizens to pay UGX 200 (US$0.05) per day in order to use messaging and voice over-the-top services (OTTs), including Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Viber. The tax, slated to take effect on 1 July, will push the cost of basic […] Read More

By Ashnah Kalemera | A Tanzanian court has acquitted the founders of popular online discussion platform Jamii Forums, who were charged over failure to comply with a police order to disclose the identity of two users of their platform. The magistrate’s court at Kisitu in the capital Dar es Salaam found that Maxence Melo and […] Read More

By Juliet Nanfuka | On May 30, 2018, Uganda’s parliament passed the Excise Duty (Amendment) Bill 2018, which will see users of Over-The-Top (OTT) services that include messaging and voice calls via Whatsapp, Facebook, Skype and Viber pay a mandatory fee of UGX 200 (USD 0.05) per day of use. In another move that could […] Read More

By Juliet Nanfuka | Barely two weeks after the presidential assent to the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, 2018, a High Court judge has issued a conservatory order suspending the entry into force of 26 sections of Kenya’s contentious Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, 2018. The order by Judge Chacha Mwita, suspending the sections until […] Read More

Joint Call | The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) is part of a joint calling on G20 countries to place citizens and consumers at the centre of decisions around the digital society. The call states, "For the digital society to be open, safe, and empowering for everyone, policies for […] Read More

By Neema Iyer | Let’s be honest. When was the last time you read the “Terms and Conditions” before you signed up for a new service online? We don’t blame you. It’s easy to get lost in the legal jargon. But do you know what happens to your personal data every time you click on “I have agreed […] Read More