Focussing on the theme Digital transformation for adaptable and people centric social security, this world-class event, held only once every three years is the unique opportunity to analyse and discuss opportunities and challenges regarding the management of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in social security institutions with the professionals. Click here for more information.
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.
World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) is celebrated annually to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICT) can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide.
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By Victor Kapiyo |
Kenya confirmed its first coronavirus (Covid-19) case on March 12, 2020, and as of August 26, 2020, the country had recorded at least 559 deaths, 32,803 confirmed cases, and 19,055 recoveries, with 429,513 persons tested.
Even before the first case was confirmed in Kenya in February 2020, the government had moved to establish the National Emergency Response Committee on Covid-19 to coordinate its preparedness, prevention and response to Covid-19.
The government subsequently introduced several measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 including suspension of public gatherings and other social distancing requirements; limitation on travel outside the country; imposition of a dusk-to-dawn curfew under the Public Order Act, 2003; travel bans in and out of the capital, Nairobi, and three other high-risk counties of Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale.
The Ministry of Health has been providing regular updates on the pandemic both online and offline through its various platforms. It has provided routine updates including situation reports; Covid-19 protocols and guidelines; various public awareness messages; and daily press updates on the status of the pandemic. The government also required all broadcasters to air the health ministry’s Public Service Announcements (PSA) at no cost. As at May 10, more than 43,000 Public Service Announcements had been aired.
However, concerns remained over the negative impact of these measures on peoples’ enjoyment of their fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression, access to information, privacy and data protection, and freedom of assembly. Meanwhile, a rise in misinformation with respect to covid-19, has been met with responses from the government that have threatened human rights.
While there have not been reports of government efforts to block or filter content or to shut down websites to fight the spread of Covid-19 misinformation, it has used other means, including legal threats and arrests. In a public statement, the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Mutahi Kagwe, issued a warning, stating that “these rumours must stop … but because I know empty appeals will not work, we will proceed and arrest a number of them to prove our point.” Consequently, the government has abused the Computer Misuse and Cyber Crimes Act, 2018 to intimidate, arrest, and detain persons, including whistleblowers and critics, in order to censor what it has deemed false information in relation to covid-19.
Following these threats, the government has since arrested four individuals, with two bloggers charged under section 23 of the Act for publishing false information, which carries a penalty of five million shillings or imprisonment not exceeding 10 years, or both. In March 2020, 23-year old Elijah Kitonyo, a student, was arrested after publishing claims on Twitter that the government was deceiving people regarding the Covid-19 situation in the country. According to the authorities, this contravened the Computer Misuse and Cyber Crimes Act.
In the same month, blogger Robert Alai was arrested and charged under section 22(1) of the Computer Misuse and Cyber Crimes Act for publishing alarming and false information in a Twitter post that two people had died of Covid-19 in Mombasa. The arrest came a day after the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Health warning against misinformation about the virus.
Another blogger, Cyprian Nyakundi, was detained the same week for claiming on Twitter that a senior Kenya Revenue Authority official had travelled out of the country and failed to self-quarantine after returning home. These arrests were unnecessary and disproportionate as there was no evidence of an intention to cause harm, or of harm being caused.
The government has also been accused of clamping down on freedom of association and assembly by restricting movement and mass gatherings during the pandemic period. In April 2020, the Law Society of Kenya challenged the curfew issued under the Legal Notice No. 36 – The Public Order (State Curfew) Order, 2020 under the Public Order Act, Cap. 56 as being unconstitutional. It also complained over the unconstitutionality of the use of unreasonable force by the police in enforcing the curfew.
In its ruling, the High Court found that the use of unreasonable force in enforcing the Order was unconstitutional. Undeterred, in July 2020, police stopped a public demonstration to commemorate the 30-year anniversary of the Saba Saba movement, whose origins date back to 1990 with calls for free elections and multiparty democracy. At least 50 people were arrested as police lobbed teargas at protesters, claiming the protest was illegal since the organisers lacked a permit, yet public gatherings were outlawed during the Covid-19 period.
Another critical aspect is the mass surveillance measures that have been quickly adopted to curb the spread of the virus. Massive data collection continues with collection of telephone numbers, personal information, residential addresses, details of people contacted, body temperatures, as well as location tracking. It is worth noting that all licensed telecom service providers are required to register all SIM cards issued with corresponding subscribers’ details. Also problematic is the development and use of various unproven technologies and mobile applications to support contact tracing. These increase the potential for abuse and present a risk for repurposing the technologies for mass surveillance after the pandemic.
Whereas Kenya has enshrined the right to privacy under Article 31 of the Constitution, and adopted a Data Protection Act in November 2019, the Data Commissioner is yet to be appointed. The contact tracing measures are questionable and potentially violate privacy rights. They lack clear or any legal oversight, and there are no documented safeguards in case of any breaches. Further, there is widespread ignorance regarding the application of the law to the government’s contact tracing programmes. Moreso, it is not manifestly clear how personal data from contact tracing will be collected, stored, and shared.
Civil society organisations have also raised concern regarding the independence of the Judiciary. This follows delayed funding for the Judiciary and recent Covid-19 budget cuts reducing the judiciary’s budget from KES 18.05 billion (USD 171 million) the previous financial year by KES 1.35 billion (USD 12.5 million), leading to suspension of key development programmes; suspension of judicial services during the Covid-19 period from March 2020, with limited court activity since; and the refusal of the President to appoint 41 Judges nominated by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) in July 2019, despite court orders. Courts remain a critical point of call for those who seek constitutional remedies. Viewed collectively, these developments threaten access to justice and may affect the capacity of the Judiciary to effectively respond to and efficiently deliver justice to those whose rights may be violated during this period.
Meanwhile, the pandemic has led many to work from home, creating increased demand for internet services, and highlighting the ever-rising digital divide. Not all Kenyans have access to fast, and affordable internet, yet access to the internet and digital public services is increasingly being seen as essential for a dignified living.
According to the Communications Authority, internet subscriptions as of March 2020 stood at 39.3 million, while mobile SIM card penetration stood at 116%. While some companies such as Safaricom doubled the bandwidth allocation to their home fibre subscribers, the cost of accessing the internet remains a barrier for most of the population. Working and studying online also means that the public is at a higher risk of cyber incidents. Internet users can be exposed to hacking on online meeting tools, online banking fraud, surveillance, phishing and other email scams. According to the Communications Authority, the Kenya National Computer Incident Response Team detected 34.6 million cyber threats, comprising malware, distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) attacks, web application attacks and system vulnerabilities between January and March 2020, a rise from the 11.2 million attacks reported during a similar period in 2019.
Nonetheless, a number of positive measures have been adopted. In March 2020, the Central Bank of Kenya announced emergency measures to promote the use of mobile money for a three month period. These included the elimination of charges for transactions below KES 1,000 (USD 9.2); increase of daily transaction limits to KES 300,000 (USD 2,763); elimination of charges for transfers between mobile money wallets and bank accounts.
In conclusion, digital technologies have proven to be a key part of the solution to the current Covid-19 crisis. However, the rapid adoption of technologies could lead to decisions without consideration of the complex and long-term human rights impact, especially with regards to transparency and accountability.
According to the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, the post-Covid-19 world is expected to be more digital than before. Therefore, it will be essential for all stakeholders to ensure the respect for privacy, freedom of speech, transparency, participation, accessibility and accountability, including in the digital domain. There will also be a need for continued efforts to build trust and ensure fairness in the use of digital technologies, and bridge the digital divide across the country, to ensure marginalised and excluded groups are included to benefit from digitalisation.
ICTED 2020: 14. International Conference on Technology, Education and Development aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of Technology, Education and Development. Click here for the event details.