In recent years, several African nations have tightened restrictions on citizens’ digital and personal data rights during protests and war. Across Africa, internet penetration rates reach around 43% as the number of Africans using digital technology grows exponentially. Digital rights are closely linked to freedom of expression and privacy, yet governments keep using internet shutdowns and social media bans as means of political censorship.
Juliet Nanfuka is a research and communications expert at Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA). She generates content on developments impacting online rights, reviews and analyzes ICT policy, and media interaction, and builds relationships with digital rights advocates. She holds a B.Journ with a specialization in Digital Media from Rhodes University. Juliet’s work explores connections between online rights and social innovation in Africa.
Ridwan Oloyede is a legal practitioner whose practice specializes in research into cybersecurity, data protection, and data ethics. He is the data protection team lead at the Tech Hive Advisory. Ridwan is a policy advisor and analyst who has published policy briefs on the intersection of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement and the impact of cross-border data transfer on the continent’s digital economy. He has also worked on a privacy framework for the protection of the African child online. He is a member of the Internet Society Nigeria Chapter and a Research Fellow at the African Academic Network on Internet Policy.