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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

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.

10Jul

NetBlocks and CIPESA to launch COST tool at the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa

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Announcement |
LONDON — Today, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) and digital rights group NetBlocks are announcing plans for the Africa launch of the Cost of Shutdown Tool – COST, at the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) 2018, set to take place 26 – 28 September, 2018, in Accra, Ghana.
The tool, developed by NetBlocks in collaboration with the Internet Society and first unveiled at RightsCon Toronto in May 2018, is aimed at automating the task of economic estimation of the impact of internet shutdowns, mobile data blackouts and social media restrictions. It draws inspiration from the new model for calculating the economic impact of shutdowns in sub-Saharan Africa launched by CIPESA last September as well as earlier research by the Brookings Institution.

Lаunching the COST tool at FIFAfrica is vital to support the advocacy and documentation efforts against shutdowns on the continent,” Ashnah Kalemera, Programme Manager, CIPESA, said.
“We hope that the economic loss proven by the tool will support litigation efforts as well strengthen pushbacks which will include the private sector”, she added.
CIPESA and NetBlocks will move forward as official partners. Both organisations are part of the #KeepItOn coalition against internet shutdowns, and support fast, reliable and open access to the Internet and knowledge online as a tenet of democracy, freedom of speech and economic prosperity.
“We are ecstatic to be partnering with CIPESA, one of the leading research and policy think-tanks in the region. Their expertise will ensure our work on Africa is accurate and up-to-date”, Hannah Machlin, Global Advocacy Manager, NetBlocks said.
Their collaboration will provide access to new network measurement techniques that can detect telecommunications blackouts and emerging threats to internet freedom in real-time, aiding the development of sustainable rights-based ICT policies.
CIPESA was established in 2004 under the Catalysing Access to Information and Communications Technology in Africa (CATIA) initiative, which was mainly funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID). CIPESA works to enable policy makers in the region to understand ICT policy issues, and for various stakeholders to use ICT to improve governance and livelihoods. They currently approach their work through four different but interrelated thematic areas, namely promoting online freedom, ICT for democracy and civic participation, the right to information, and contributing to internet governance debate at national, regional and global level.
The NetBlocks Group is a civil society initiative building new techniques for network measurement that support freedom of expression and digital transparency, defending access to free and open technology and working on the security and privacy of core internet standards at groups including the Internet Engineering Task Force.

30Jan

Disruptions To Digital Communications Persist In The Democratic Republic Of Congo

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By Edrine Wanyama |
Internet access and Short Message Services (SMS) were interrupted in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) on January 20, 2018 ahead of a peaceful protest march organised by the Catholic Church to compel President Joseph Kabila to step down following the expiry of his final term in office. The country remains caught in a cycle of instability since the postponement of the November 2016 elections to December 2017, and then to April 2018.
The first interruption of digital communications in the vast central African nation occurred in December 2011 in the aftermath of general elections, before the announcement of the election results. The shutdown affected SMS, and lasted 25 days.
In the seven years since then, DR Congo has experienced at least five communication disruptions amidst growing concerns about surveillance of the digital communications of opposition leaders, journalists, and activists.

See: The Evolution of Internet Shutdowns in DR Congo

Affronts to internet access hurt human rights, and undermine political stability and economic growth. According to the new framework for calculating the economic impact of internet shutdowns, DR Congo loses at least USD 1,936,911 per day of an internet disruption.
The regular communication disruptions bring into focus the role of intermediaries in advancing internet freedom in the country. Specifically, telecom companies and other Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are being challenged to dissociate themselves from censorship, by declining to effect the government’s orders to cut off communications. Such a move would arguably be in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights which require businesses to proactively address all adverse human rights impacts directly linked to their operations, products or services. However, many telecommunications services providers fear reprimand and termination of their licences for failure to comply with directives from the state to interfere or block digital communications.
Government directives to shut down the internet or interrupt communications are usually issued under the guise of “national security” or “public order”. In a letter ordering network disruptions in August 2017, an official of the national communications regulatory body, the Autorité de Regulation des Postes et Télécommunications du Congo (ARPTC), instructed service providers to take preventative measures to reduce the capacity to transmit “abusive messages.”
Internet penetration in DR Congo remains low at 4.2%, supported by a 55.7% mobile penetration. To-date, there are two primary laws governing the telecommunications sector, both of which were passed in 2002: the Framework Law 013/2002 on Telecommunications, and the Law 14/2002 on the Regulations – the law that established the national regulator. However, rather than advance internet access and usage, these laws have often been used against the media and critics of the state. Meanwhile, there are limited meaningful avenues for citizens to provide inputs to proposed new laws related to the telecommunications industry.
President Kabila’s government should boldly work to stop the abuse of rights which the country’s 2005 constitution guarantees . Abuse of free expression and access to information has continued in Congo despite the recognition of access to the internet as a human right by African and International Human Rights instruments. The UN Secretary General has previously called and continues to call upon the Congolese government to uphold her citizens’ freedoms to speech and peaceful assembly.
It is thus imperative that Congo government authorities desist from interrupting digital communications and guarantee citizens’ access to the internet and to the full enjoyment of their digital rights. Further, the Congo government should recognise the relationship between access to the internet and citizens’ livelihoods and work to grow the number of its citizens that meaningfully access and use digital tools and services.

30Nov

#KeepitOn: Joint letter on the internet and the election in Gambia

Author admin Posted on
Joint Letter |
President Yahya Jammeh
cc: Gambia Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA)
Gambia Permanent Mission to the United Nations
African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
30 November 2016
Your Excellency,
We are writing to urgently request that you ensure the stability and openness of the internet during the forthcoming elections in Gambia on December 1. Elections represent the most critical moment in a democracy, and the internet enables free expression and the fulfillment of all human rights.
However, we have received unconfirmed reports through a variety of sources that your government intends to shut down the internet. We implore you to keep the internet on.
Research shows that internet shutdowns and state violence go hand in hand. [1] Shutdowns disrupt the free flow of information and create a cover of darkness that allows state repression to occur without scrutiny. Worryingly, Gambia would be joining an alarming global trend of government-mandated shutdowns during elections, a practice that many African Union member governments have recently adopted, including:  Burundi, Congo-Brazzaville, Egypt, Sudan, the Central African Republic, Niger, Democratic Republic of Congo. [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8]
Internet shutdowns — with governments ordering the suspension or throttling of entire networks, often during elections or public protests — must never be allowed to become the new normal.
Justified for public safety purposes, shutdowns instead cut off access to vital information, e-financing, and emergency services, plunging whole societies into fear and destabilizing the internet’s power to support small business livelihoods and drive economic development. In addition, a study by the Brookings Institution indicates that shutdowns drained $2.4 billion from the global economy last year. [9]
International Law
A growing body of jurisprudence declares shutdowns to violate international law. The United Nations Human Rights Council has spoken out strongly against internet shutdowns. In its 32nd Session, in July 2016, the Council passed by consensus a resolution on freedom of expression and the internet with operative language on internet shutdowns. The resolution, A/HRC/RES/32/13, “condemns unequivocally measures to intentionally prevent or disrupt access to or dissemination of information online in violation of international human rights law and calls on all States to refrain from and cease such measures.” The Council intended this clear declaration to combat the blocking and throttling of networks, applications, and services that facilitate the freedoms of expression, opinion, and access to information online. In addition, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights stated in its November 2016  Resolution on the Right to Freedom of Information and Expression on the Internet in Africa that it was “Concerned by the emerging practice of State Parties of interrupting or limiting access to telecommunication services such as the Internet, social media and messaging services, increasingly during elections.” [10]
In 2015, various experts from the United Nations (UN) Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Organization of American States (OAS), and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), issued an historic statement declaring that internet “kill switches” can never be justified under international human rights law, even in times of conflict. [11] General Comment 34 of the UN Human Rights Committee, the official interpreter of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, emphasizes that restrictions on speech online must be strictly necessary and proportionate to achieve a legitimate purpose. Shutdowns disproportionately impact all users, and unnecessarily restrict access to information and emergency services communications during crucial moments.
The internet has enabled significant advances in health, education, and creativity, and it is now essential to fully realize human rights including participation in elections and access to information.
We humbly request that you use the vital positions of your good offices to:

  • Ensure that the internet, including social media, remains on in Gambia throughout the election and beyond
  • Publicly declare your commitment to keep the internet on, including social media
  • Encourage telecommunications and internet services providers to respect human rights, including through public disclosures and transparency reports.

We are happy to assist you in any of these matters.
Sincerely,
Access Now
Association for Progressive Communications (APC)
CIPESA
Heliopolis Institute
Human Rights Foundation
iFreedom Uganda
Internet Sans Frontières
Media Foundation for West Africa
Paradigm Initiative Nigeria
Social Media Exchange (SMEX)
Strathmore University Centre for IP and It Law (CIPIT)
Unwanted Witness Uganda
 
[1] Sarah Myers West, ‘Research Shows Internet Shutdowns and State Violence Go Hand in Hand in Syria’ (Electronic Frontier Foundation, 1 July 2015)
<https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/06/research-shows-internet-shutdowns-and-state-violence-go-hand-hand-syria> accessed 18 February 2016.
[2] ‘Access urges UN and African Union experts to take action on Burundi internet shutdown’ (Access Now 29 April 2015) <https://www.accessnow.org/access-urges-un-and-african-union-experts-to-take-action-on-burundi-interne/> accessed 18 February 2016.
[3] Deji Olukotun, ‘Government may have ordered internet shutdown in Congo-Brazzaville’ (Access Now 20 October 2015) <https://www.accessnow.org/government-may-have-ordered-internet-shutdown-in-congo-brazzaville/> accessed 18 February 2016.
[4]  Deji Olukotun and Peter Micek, ‘Five years later: the internet shutdown that rocked Egypt’ (Access Now 21 January 2016) <https://www.accessnow.org/five-years-later-the-internet-shutdown-that-rocked-egypt/> accessed 18 February 2016.
[5] Peter Micek, ‘Update: Mass internet shutdown in Sudan follows days of protest’ (Access Now, 15 October 2013) <https://www.accessnow.org/mass-internet-shutdown-in-sudan-follows-days-of-protest/> accessed 18 February 2016.
[6] Peter Micek, ‘Access submits evidence to International Criminal Court on net shutdown in Central African Republic’(Access Now 17 February 2015) <https://www.accessnow.org/evidence-international-criminal-court-net-shutdown-in-central-african-repub/> accessed 18 February 2016.
[7] ‘Niger resorts to blocking in wake of violent protests against Charlie Hebdo cartoons.’ (Access Now Facebook page 26 January 2015) <https://www.facebook.com/accessnow/posts/10153030213288480> accessed 18 February 2016.
[8] Peter Micek, (Access Now 23 January 2015) ‘Violating International Law, DRC Orders Telcos to Cease Communications Services’ <https://www.accessnow.org/violating-international-law-drc-orders-telcos-vodafone-millicon-airtel/> accessed 18 February 2016.
[9] Darrell West, (Brookings Institution, October 2016) “Internet shutdowns cost countries $2.4 billion last year” https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/intenet-shutdowns-v-3.pdf
[10] African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, (November 2016) ‘362: Resolution on the Right to Freedom of Information and Expression on the Internet in Africa – ACHPR/Res. 362(LIX) 2016’ http://www.achpr.org/sessions/59th/resolutions/362/
[11] Peter Micek, (Access Now 4 May 2015) ‘Internet kill switches are a violation of human rights law, declare major UN and rights experts’ <https://www.accessnow.org/blog/2015/05/04/internet-kill-switches-are-a-violation-of-human-rights-law-declare-major-un> accessed 18 February 2016.

This join letter first appeared on the Access Now website

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