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Advancing Consumer Protection across Africa in the Digital Age
25Feb

Advancing Consumer Protection across Africa in the Digital Age

Author CIPESA Posted on

By CIPE Writer |

Consumer protection serves as an avenue for promoting transparency, accountability, and trust in the digital age, helping shield both consumers and small businesses from unfair practices online. According to a report by the International Finance Corporation and Google, “Africa’s internet economy has the potential to reach $180 billion by 2025, accounting for 5.2% of the [Continent’s] gross domestic product (GDP). By 2050, the projected potential contribution could reach $712 billion, 8.5% of the [Continent’s] GDP.” As electronic commerce (eCommerce) grows, consumer protection should be seen as an enabler of the digital economy.

Although the United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection offer guidance on the main characteristics of effective consumer protection legislation, “consumer protection is often one of the last areas that developing economies focus on regulating as they create frameworks around eCommerce.”

A LONG WAY TO GO

In Africa, very few countries are adequately addressing consumer protection concerns. Of the 54 African countries, only 25 have laws that pertain to online consumer rights and electronic transactions, while only four have draft laws. In other instances, issues pertaining to consumer protection are interspersed between laws.

For example, Uganda enacted laws on electronic transactions, electronic signatures, and computer misuse in 2011, yet gaps still remain in adequately securing online consumer rights. As more African countries develop new legislation and frameworks that seek to govern the digital economy, now is the opportune time for diverse stakeholder groups to engage in policy conversations and ensure that consumer protection is a priority.

IN AFRICA, VERY FEW COUNTRIES ARE ADEQUATELY ADDRESSING CONSUMER PROTECTION CONCERNS.

In addition to identifying opportunities at a local or national level, governments across Africa should work with one another and various stakeholder groups to address Continent-wide consumer protection concerns. The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) and the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) identified the adoption of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) as an important development that presented an opportune time to advance dialogue and consensus on how to shape and govern the digital economy on the Continent to promote greater regional cohesion, development, and competitiveness.

WORKING TOGETHER TO PROTECT THE DIGITAL ECONOMY

To identify regional opportunities that can positively shape Africa’s digital transformation, CIPE and CIPESA brought together over 35 stakeholders representing the local private sector, civil society, media organizations, and government at the 2019 edition of the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This regional policy dialogue formed the basis of the Roadmap to Reform: Building an Enabling Environment for Inclusive Digital Transformation in Africa.

The Roadmap advocates for the advancement of strong consumer protection legislation across Africa to “help enhance trust in eCommerce across business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions and business-to-business (B2B) transactions that can arise in disputes around digital payments.” Since the multi-stakeholder conversations surrounding the adoption of the AfCFTA in 2019, key recommendations highlighted in the Roadmap to Reform remain timely, as African Union member states begin to implement the agreement after it came into force on January 1 of this year.

There is a unique opportunity for local business communities, civil society, media organizations, and governments to work together and ensure the agreement is implemented in a way that supports an inclusive enabling environment for the digital economy. To read more about the Roadmap to Reform, please visit:  https://cipesa.org/?wpfb_dl=426

Réactions des Télécoms à la Covid-19 au Sénégal
24Feb

Réactions des Télécoms à la Covid-19 au Sénégal

Author CIPESA Posted on

Par Astou Diouf |

Le Sénégal a enregistré son premier cas de Covid-19 le 2 mars 2020. Trois semaines plus tard, le 23 mars, le pays a déclaré l’état d’urgence et pris diverses mesures pour freiner la propagation du virus. En réponse à la pandémie, l’Autorité de Régulation des Télécommunications et des Postes (ARTP) a apporté une contribution financière de 117 millions de francs CFA (216 000 dollars US) à la “Force Covid-19”. L’ARTP a également réuni les fournisseurs de services de télécommunications au Sénégal pour solliciter leur soutien dans le cadre des mesures d’urgence.

L’appel aux opérateurs de télécommunications a été lancé en reconnaissance du rôle de la technologie dans les stratégies de riposte à la Covid-19 et du taux de pénétration de l’internet du pays qui est passé de 68,49 % en 2018 à 88,73 % en 2020. En effet, les principaux opérateurs de télécommunications au Sénégal ainsi que l’Agence de l’Informatique de l’État (ADIE) ont joué un rôle décisif dans la lutte contre le virus dans le pays.

Structure administrative autonome, l’ADIE est le principal levier pour la mise en œuvre de la politique et des initiatives d’e-gouvernement en coordination avec les ministères, départements et agences du gouvernement. En réponse à la pandémie, l’ADIE a mis en place une plateforme accessible via covid19.gouv.sn permettant d’accéder à des informations fiables sur la Covid-19, notamment des conseils pratiques et des vidéos de sensibilisation, ainsi que des statistiques sur la propagation du virus au moyen d’une carte interactive. En outre, un “chatbot Doctor covid” accessible sur Whatsapp a été mis en place avec une voix intégrée en français et en wolof.

Les Sénégalais de la diaspora n’ont pas été laissés pour compte dans les efforts de l’ADIE. Afin de garantir un accès équitable à l’aide d’urgence mise à la disposition des citoyens dans le cadre de la task-force Covid-19, l’agence a mis en place une plateforme en ligne pour enregistrer les citoyens à l’étranger afin qu’ils puissent bénéficier de l’aide.

L’ADIE a également mis en place un système de vidéoconférence pour faciliter les réunions à distance entre le Président et le Conseil des ministres. Un système similaire a été mis en place pour le ministère de la Santé et de l’Action Sociale, avec la fourniture de smartphones pour faciliter la communication sur le terrain et la coordination entre les équipes d’intervention.

La SONATEL, qui détient la part du lion (53%) du marché des télécommunications mobiles au Sénégal, a également mené une série d’actions de soutien à la lutte contre la Covid-19. En plus du don de matériel médical au centre Diamniadio, la Sonatel a fourni au ministère de la Santé des Pompiers pour renforcer la capacité du centre d’appel national gratuit contre la Covid-19 (800 00 50 50) et des services de communication gratuits via un groupe fermé d’utilisateurs. En outre, la Sonatel a diffusé des messages de sensibilisation à ses abonnés, a mené une campagne baptisée “Héros en blanc” qui rend hommage au personnel médical du pays et a soutenu l’enseignement à distance avec le Pass éducation gratuit de 1 Go pour l’accès aux contenus éducatifs.

Pour les entreprises et les personnes morales, la Sonatel a facilité le télétravail grâce à l’augmentation de la bande passante en fibre et à la fourniture gratuite de 3 Go de données mobiles pour les abonnés dans le cadre d’Orange Business Services.

Free Senegal est le deuxième opérateur téléphonique du Sénégal avec 25% de part de marché. Comme son homologue Sonatel, Free Senegal a envoyé des messages de sensibilisation à ses abonnés, mettant en avant les mesures préventives à la Covid-19. Il a également fourni une bande passante gratuite et a supprimé les frais de transaction d’argent mobile pour les abonnés ; et a fait un  don d’équipements au ministère de la santé, entre autres, en réponse à la Covid-19.

Au niveau opérationnel, Expresso Sénégal a annoncé des plans pour retarder le déploiement de son réseau 4G. Dans une déclaration à l’Agence de presse sénégalaise (APS), l’opérateur a indiqué que “dans un contexte marqué par une crise sanitaire sans précédent et en raison de l’état d’urgence décrété par le gouvernement, Expresso Sénégal reporte le déploiement de son réseau 4G”.

Si les différentes interventions ci-dessus sont louables, certaines d’entre elles constituent une menace pour les droits numériques. Par exemple, le ministère de la santé, en collaboration avec les opérateurs de télécommunications, a mis en place un système de traçage des contacts par téléphone portable pour freiner la propagation du virus au sein de la communauté. La Commission de protection des données personnelles (CDP) a “béni” ces efforts de traçage des contacts, en assurant aux abonnés que la confidentialité et la sécurité des informations personnelles seraient respectées.

En outre, l’adoption de la technologie dans le cadre des efforts de riposte à la Covid-19 est entachée par les faibles niveaux de culture numérique, ainsi que par l’accessibilité et le coût de l’internet, non seulement chez les fonctionnaires, mais aussi chez les groupes marginalisés, notamment les populations rurales, les femmes et les personnes handicapées. Parallèlement, les efforts de numérisation des gouvernements restent limités, certains services publics tels que l’enregistrement des actes d’état civil (naissance, mariage et décès), le signalement des crimes, les permis de séjour et les services de passeport nécessitant souvent une présence physique – contrairement à la volonté des citoyens de rester chez eux.

Les divers efforts du gouvernement et des télécoms mentionnés ci-dessus ont été déterminants dans la lutte contre la Covid-19 au Sénégal en facilitant la mise en place d’équipes d’intervention d’urgence, le travail à distance et l’apprentissage. Cependant, il y a place pour des abus du droit des citoyens à la vie privée et à la liberté d’expression, ainsi que pour l’élargissement de la fracture numérique et l’inhibition de l’accès à l’information. Il est essentiel que les interventions basées sur la technologie contre la Covid-19 soient à la fois inclusives et respectueuses des droits humains. Il faut pour cela que la société civile plaide davantage contre les mesures régressives, et que les opérateurs de télécommunications et le gouvernement fassent des efforts pour améliorer la connectivité rurale, la numérisation et l’accessibilité numérique des groupes marginalisés.

Astou Diouf est une boursière du CIPESA 2020 qui se concentre sur le rôle des intermédiaires et des fournisseurs de services Internet dans la lutte contre la Covid-19 au Sénégal, notamment sur des questions telles que la facilitation d’un accès accru à l’Internet, les atteintes à la vie privée et aux données personnelles, et la réglementation des contenus.

How-the-Covid-19-Fight-Has-Hurt-Digital-Rights-in-East-Africa
19Feb

How the Covid-19 Fight Has Hurt Digital Rights in East Africa

Author CIPESA Writer Posted on

By Paul Kimumwe |

The fight against the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda has dealt a blow to the promotion and preservation of human rights in the region. The outbreak of Covid-19 could not have come at a worse time, as the countries were preparing for their respective general elections (October 2020 for Tanzania, January 2021 for  Uganda, and a potential referendum in 2021 and the August 2022 elections in Kenya).

Even before confirmation of Covid-19 cases in the region, the three East African countries had instituted Covid-19 mitigation measures, including the adoption of statutory instruments which quickly suspended constitutional guarantees without reasonable justification or meaningful stakeholder consultation. The measures were accompanied with a problematic onslaught on the media, the political opposition and ordinary citizens, which undermined the enjoyment of the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association, and the right to access a variety of news and information, which was critical to informed decision-making particularly during electoral processes.

On March 18, 2020, Uganda instituted its first set of measures that included the closure of schools and a ban on all political, religious, and social gatherings. A week after the March 22, 2020 confirmation of the first case in the country, the Ministry of Health issued the Public Health (Control of Covid-19) (No. 2) Rules, 2020 that introduced further restrictions including a dusk-to-dawn curfew, the closure of institutions of learning and places of worship, the suspension of public gatherings, a ban on public transport and the closure of the country’s borders and the international airport to passenger traffic.

In Kenya, the government introduced several measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 that included the suspension of public gatherings and other social distancing requirements; limitation of travel into and outside the country; imposition of a dusk-to-dawn curfew under the Public Order Act, 2003; as well as inter-county travel bans between the capital, Nairobi, and three other high-risk counties of Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale.

A day after the government confirmed its first coronavirus case, Tanzania introduced a series of measures that included the closure of schools and the suspension of sports events on March 17, 2020. Additional directives, including quarantining travelers from countries with confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the travelers’ own cost, were announced by President Pombe Magufuli.

While many of the restrictions such as the closure of international borders, schools and churches and prohibitions on public gatherings have since been relaxed, the long-term impact of these and other restrictions persist.

In this brief, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) researched Covid-19 related censorship and surveillance practices and related regulatory responses in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda that affected people’s’ digital rights, including the right to freedom of expression, access to information, and privacy. It shows that the different measures adopted by the three countries, including enactment and enforcement of repressive laws on misinformation/fake news, as well as intimidation, arrests, detentions, and suspension of media operations, have led to an erosion of civil liberties online and offline.

The brief recommends the amendment of all the Covid-19 legislation that restricts freedoms to bring it into conformity with international standards on the right to privacy, data collection and processing as well as freedom of expression and access to information. Further, it urges governments to improve the affordability of the internet by more citizens, ensure the respect of citizens’ rights; and be transparent, and accountable in the conduct of Covid-19 related data collection and surveillance.

Why-Access-to-Information-is-Essential-for-Democratic-Elections-in-Africa
17Feb

Why Access to Information is Essential for Democratic Elections in Africa

Author CIPESA Posted on

By Dunia Mekonnen Tegegn |

The importance of access to information in the electoral process and for democratic governance is documented in the African Charter for Democracy, Elections and Governance, and other sub-regional treaties and standards.

Without access to reliable information during the electoral process, it is difficult for citizens to eloquently exercise their right to make an informed choice. For elections to be free, fair, and credible, voters must have access to information at all stages of the electoral process. Access to information enables voters to be educated and informed about political processes so that they can have a basis upon which to vote for political office holders and to hold public officials responsible for their acts or oversights in the implementation of their actions.

Though Africa has developed several normative frameworks and legal instruments defining democratic elections, the wider dissemination of relevant information during the electoral process remains a challenge, putting the credibility of the process into question.

The Revised Declaration of Principles of Freedom of Expression and Access to Information under principle 13 emphasises that any preparatory work for elections should take into account the need for access to information and adherence to the African Union Commission’s Guidelines on access to information and elections.

Over the past few years, access to information has further been made easier through advances in information and communications technology (ICT), especially the internet, which have expanded the avenues through which people can access and share news and information.

Consequently, the importance of internet access in the dissemination of information that is politically balanced and adequate, particularly during election times, has also been underscored under many of the regional human rights instruments     .

For example, the UN Committee on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR) has emphasised that the internet is one way of expression since paragraph 2 of article 19 protects all forms of expression and the means of their dissemination. Similarly, principles 37 and 38 of the Revised Declaration of Principles of Freedom of Expression and Access to Information provide protection for access to the internet.

Despite existing guarantees, both state and non-state actors have violated these rights by limiting access to information during election periods through ordering internet shutdowns, clamping down on news media, and restricting the movements of political opponents to campaign. This in turn undermined the reliability of electoral processes.

Trends also indicate that most of the African countries conducting elections in 2020 and beyond have experienced internet shutdowns, often affecting the fairness and credibility of the elections.

The situation has further been complicated by COVID-19, which has hampered crucial offline electioneering, making the online space crucial. Though state and non-state actors have used various types of strategies to censor and restrict information during election times including through blocking certain content and internet pages, the impact blanket internet shutdowns have on access to information is massive. This strategy is not the best option as internet shutdowns only present short term solutions. Other alternatives should be sought, such as progressive laws, judicial oversight , and legal actions before domestic and regional courts     .

In this report, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) explores the challenges citizens face in accessing crucial information in Africa, especially during elections, despite the recent developments in the ICT sector, including the internet which is often shut down as governments attempt to stifle their citizens’ ability to seek and share information online.

02Feb

Africa Digital Rights Fund Supports Mainstreaming of Online Freedoms in Somali Territories

Author CIPESA Posted on

By Ashnah Kalemera |

The digital landscape of Somalia and the breakaway states of Somaliland and Puntland is largely shaped by the region’s history of terrorism and political turmoil. Website censorship, internet disruptions and crackdowns on the media co-exist in a fast-evolving technology sector, within a regressive policy and regulatory environment. With support from the Africa Digital Rights Fund (ADRF), three Somali initiatives are working to positively influence this landscape by raising the visibility of digital rights issues, alongside pushing for policy and practice reforms to ensure effective and inclusive use of technology for socio-economic and political development. 

Combined, the initiatives have skilled 235 human rights defenders, media practitioners and activists in safety and security online, and convened multiple stakeholder forums featuring government authorities, the private sector, civil society and law enforcement to promote wider awareness on digital rights and the need to prioritise rights-respecting technology adoption. The initiatives have also amplified efforts on effective utilisation of technology in Covid-19 response measures and worked to close the digital gender gap, focusing some interventions on addressing barriers to women’s meaningful participation in online spaces.

Freedom House’s Freedom in the World 2020 report ranks Somaliland as ‘partly free’, citing a “consistent erosion of political rights and civic space” evidenced by numerous arrests and detention of journalists and critics, and suspension of media outlets, among others. Assessed separately, Somalia is ranked as ‘not free’ with “impunity for human rights abuses by both state and nonstate actors” being the norm. As a combined region, Somalia’s press freedom ranking is dismal too – at position 163 out of 180 countries assessed as part of the 2020 World Press Freedom Index.

Somalia’s telecommunications sector, which is largely unregulated, has recorded steady growth, with 2020 figures indicating mobile subscriptions at 48% of the population and 10% internet penetration. Mobile money usage is widespread and, according to GSMA’s Mobile Money Regulatory Index, Somalia is ahead of many regional counterparts, having formalised sector regulations during 2019, allowed non-banks to offer electronic and mobile-based financial services, and permitted international mobile money transfers.

The ADRF’s partners – Digital Shelter, the Somaliland Journalists Association (SOLJA), and the Women in Media in Somalia (WIMISOM)- recognise that increased use of online platforms has the potential to positively shape political participation, innovation, inclusion and the realisation of human rights in Somalia and its breakaway regions.

In response to arrests and intimidation of several journalists and social media activists by the Somali federal government and federal states, digital attacks, and threats from terrorist groups, Digital Shelter spearheaded the “protect our online space” initiative with ADRF support. Under the initiative, Digital Shelter hosted a groundbreaking dialogue on shrinking online civic space in Mogadishu, which was attended by 80 human rights defenders, journalists, bloggers and artists. The dialogue was followed by two digital security training sessions (hosted over three days each), also held in Mogadishu, benefiting 100 participants (47% female), including women human rights defenders, media practitioners and activists. Besides risk assessment, device security, encryption and circumvention, the training featured sessions on tackling misinformation and disinformation. 

Digital Shelter hosted a second dialogue on digital transformation and the future of online civic space in Mogadishu in partnership with the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Technology (MPTT). This forum brought together 80 government officials, tech activists, ICT experts, media practitioners, and civil society representatives. Speaking as a panelist at the forum, Abdiaziz Duwane, Director General of MPTT, reiterated the government’s commitment to prioritise the use of technology in private and public sectors, and to improve rural connectivity. 

With the success of the two dialogues, Digital Shelter went on to support Somalia’s Covid-19 response measures by hosting an engagement on misinformation and media coverage around Covid-19. Additionally, since September 2020, it has hosted monthly meet ups on digital rights topics, featuring various guest speakers. 

Recognising the role of media practitioners and digital platforms in promoting peace in conflict regions, the Somaliland Journalists Association (SOLJA), with ADRF support, equipped 120 journalists (40% female) with skills in innovative content development, safety and security online, and journalism for peace and humanitarianism. In addition, SOLJA organised a multi-stakeholder dialogue aimed at understanding misinformation and fact checking. Speaking at the dialogue, Muna Toosane, the Director of Communication at the Somaliland Ministry of Information and National Awareness, stated that ongoing government interventions were focused on increased adoption of technology, while mindful of emerging concerns over the spread of false and misleading information online. 

The engagements by SOLJA were informed by a knowledge, attitudes and perceptions survey on the impact of online platforms on print and broadcast media in Somaliland. Conducted during February and March 2020, the survey targeted 51 media stakeholders including the Ministry of Information, local print, broadcast and online media agencies, independent media practitioners, academia, human rights  and civil society organisations. The survey found that online platforms were perceived to have had a positive impact on governance and human rights in Somaliland. However, journalists’ use of the platforms was being undermined by limited understanding of online safety and security, pervasive hate speech and misinformation.

Further, SOLJA monitored Covid-19 coverage by five public and private media entities during April and May 2020. The assessment of Geeska Afrika, Jamhuuriya, Radio Hargeisa, Horn Cable TV and Saab TV, found that briefings from the Ministry of Health, the activities of the national response committee and prevention measures were the leading topics of reporting. However, messaging was often repetitive with little on societal and behavioural change. The report also found cases of misinformation on social media being reproduced in print and broadcast stories, as well as limited inclusion of women’s voices.

SOLJA has since gone on to engage Somaliland Members of Parliament, legal and religious leaders and the Deputy General Secretary of Somaliland parliament on a draft media bill to replace the Press Law 24/2004.

Digital Shelter and SOLJA’s interventions set the foundation for the third ADRF Somali grantee – Women in Media Initiative Somalia (WIMISOM) – whose work during 2020/2021 is focused on 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. 

Towards the end of 2020, WIMISON conducted a three days training of trainers (ToT) in Puntland, which was launched by a representative from the Puntland Ministry of Women Development and Family Affairs (MOWDAFA). The 15 trained trainers are due to support regional training during January and February 2021. In commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence, WIMISOM organised a roundtable discussion on the challenges facing women in journalism and their role in fighting gender-based violence. 

The July 2020 profiling of Digital Shelter’s work by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) is testament to the need for continued elevation of digital rights advocacy and network building within wider efforts to advance human rights in Somalia, Puntland and Somaliland – a need that ADRF is proud to have set the pace for by supporting Digital Shelter, SOLJA and WIMISOM.

The ADRF is an initiative of the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) with support from the Omidyar Network, Ford Foundation, the German Society for International Cooperation Agency (GIZ) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

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