‘Digital authoritarianism’ threatening basic rights in Africa, study says

A file photo of people browsing the Internet at a cyber cafe in Mogadishu, Somalia. New research – which covered South Africa, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Nigeria, Zambia, Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia and Egypt – has documented 115 examples of technologies, tactics and techniques used to control or censor the Internet. — Reuters

NAIROBI: From Internet shutdowns and online surveillance to social media taxes and arrests for anti-government posts, “digital authoritarianism” is a threat to basic freedoms and rights in many African countries, researchers said on March 2.

A study by the African Digital Rights Network (ADRN) focusing on 10 countries found governments used a plethora of measures over the last two decades to stifle people’s ability to organise, voice opinions and participate in governance online.