New report: Strengthening data protection in Africa

Governments using telecommunications infrastructure to spy on political opponents. Foreign companies collecting highly sensitive biometric data – and making money off it. Authorities using AI-powered systems to exclude people from public services, without transparency or accountability. Strong data protection laws are essential to protect people from these and other threats enabled by digitization. Marking Data Privacy Day, our latest policy brief analyzes regimes across the African region, using case studies to show how lawmakers can strengthen these frameworks. Read our TL;DR and the full report. Read more via Access Now

Dig deeper

TUNE IN: "Understanding key issues in data protection framework implementation in Africa”

Eager to learn more? Join regional experts for a panel discussion on January 29 at 1:00-3:30 PM Nairobi time, where we’ll unpack the report and explore issues around the future of data protection in Africa. Watch via Access Now

CHECK IT OUT: "Is Kenya's Data Protection Act of 2019 ready for AI disruption?"

Don’t stop there: Paradigm Initiative is holding its first Digital Policy Café on January 30 at 5:00 PM Nairobi time, focused on the nexus between data protection and AI. Learn more via Paradigm Initiative

Bodily harms

WATCH: Tunisia’s biometric ID project: a pretext for violating privacy? (in Arabic)

Tunisia is developing and deploying digitization programs that threaten the rights of millions – including resurfacing a biometric ID project that could pave the way for mass surveillance, identity theft, and data exploitation. Access Now and partners created an FAQ in Tunisian dialect addressing critical questions about the proposed Biometric Identity Card. And in case you missed it, watch the panel discussion organized by Access Now and Al Bawsala, explaining why this program is so dangerous, and how civil society is pushing back to protect people’s rights (in Arabic). Watch via Al Bawsala

Confronting the censors

Precision is needed when interpreting the E.U. DSA

The E.U.’s Digital Services Act (DSA) is aimed at preventing “illegal and harmful activities online and the spread of disinformation.” But it’s crucial to ensure these rules aren’t misused or abused as a tool for censorship. In October, Access Now joined ARTICLE 19 in urging European Commissioner Thierry Breton to respect due process when enforcing the DSA in the context of the ongoing war in Gaza. While we appreciate the Commissioner’s response stressing that DSA enforcement will fully respect fundamental rights, we’ve issued a joint statement as a follow-up, underscoring that any actions platforms take must not only be “effective,” but also necessary and proportionate, adhering to international freedom of expression standards. Read more via ARTICLE 19

Sri Lanka must withdraw the Online Safety Bill

This week, despite vocal opposition from civil society, Sri Lanka’s Parliament pushed through the country’s Online Safety Bill – without vital amendments needed to protect the people of Sri Lanka from heavy-handed content regulation that risks stifling free speech and enabling arbitrary content removal and censorship. Read our open letter and press release. Read more via Access Now

In U.S. Supreme Court cases, civil society challenges Texas and Florida on content moderation

Part of protecting free expression online is ensuring online platforms can exercise editorial discretion. Next month, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear cases brought by NetChoice challenging two separate state laws in Texas and Florida, each of which restrict social media platforms’ content moderation policies and practices under the guise of “preventing censorship.” Access Now has joined dozens of other signatories in filing a friend-of-the-court brief for consideration in both cases, stressing the importance of safeguarding platforms’ ability to control what they publish, protect people from hate speech and harmful content online, and preserve the right to participate in civil discourse. Read more via Chamber of Progress

#KeepItOn keeps an eye on elections

Comoros must not block the internet to quell post-election protests

The internet is a fundamental enabler of democratic participation, and with more than 60 elections taking place in 2024, safeguarding internet access is imperative. Unfortunately, we continue to see governments reach for the kill switch. Following the re-election of President Azali Assoumani in the Union of Comoros, internet access has been disrupted in an attempt to quell post-election protests – the first documented internet shutdown in Comoros and an alarming addition to the “list of actors wielding internet shutdowns to suppress human rights globally,” says Access Now’s Felicia Anthonio. We urge the Comorian government to end the blackout immediately. Read more via Access Now

Victory! DRC commits to #KeepItOn

Following civil society pressure on the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to protect free, open internet access during its recent elections, Peter Kazadi, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the Interior affairs, committed to ensuring unhindered internet access throughout the election period. Read more via Access Now

The biggest loser: NSO

Federal judge rejects NSO's effort to dismiss Apple’s Pegasus lawsuit

Need some more good news? After Apple discovered its platform was being used to deliver NSO Group's infamous Pegasus spyware, it took the Israeli surveillance firm to court. And this week, NSO failed to convince a U.S. district court judge in California to dismiss Apple's case — welcome news given NSO's recent attempts to leverage the Israel-Hamas war to dodge accountability in the U.S. Read more via The Record

Opportunities and other highlights

APPLY: Digital Rights Fund for WANA

Digital rights organization SMEX has launched a new fund to support individuals and groups fighting for digital freedom in West Asia and North Africa (WANA). Under the Digital Rights Fund for WANA, grants of up to $10,000 are available to support work on combating surveillance, spyware, and cybercrime, or internet censorship and content moderation, and applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Learn more about the eligibility criteria. Learn more via SMEX

LEARN: Exposing the invisible

If you or your organization conducts public interest investigations to defend human rights, and you need guidance on how to do so safely and ethically, check out this investigator's toolkit from Tactical Tech. It's designed to make the techniques and tools used by experienced investigators more accessible, in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. Learn more via Tactical Tech

JOIN US: Director of Policy and International Programs

We’re still looking for our next Director of Policy and International Programs; someone who can lead a global team of regional managers, lawyers, policy analysts, campaigners, communicators, and issue-based specialists across five continents. Read more about the role and apply. Learn more via Access Now

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