(C) Global Voices This story was originally published by Global Voices and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Tres maneras de abordar los derechos digitales en África [1] ['Zita Zage'] Date: 2024-06-05 En septiembre de 2023, arrestaron a la indígena Chioma Okoli, que estaba embarazada, por haber publicado una reseña culinaria negativa en Facebook. Su delito: hacer enojar a un multimillonario, delito con una pena de tres años de prisión o una multa de siete millones de nairas (alrededor de 3000 dólares) según la ley de delitos cibernéticos de Nigeria de 2015. Desde 2015, la ley se ha usado para arrestar a muchos periodistas, blogueros y ciudadanos por orden de las autoridades nacionales. Leyes como esta existen en diferentes formas en todo el continente, de manera que las autoridades estatales continúan socavando las libertades digitales. Global Voices entrevistó por correo electrónico a Shirley Ewang, especialista en defensa y gestión de Gatefield, para comprender la situación de los derechos digitales en África. Zita Zage (ZZ): Cuéntanos sobre ti y sobre el trabajo que haces. Shirley Ewang (SE) : I'm a seasoned senior advocacy and governance specialist. Currently, I have the privilege of leading the policy, governance, and advocacy practice at Gatefield, a leading public policy and advocacy firm in Africa. With a robust background in policy advocacy, I specialize in devising and executing high-impact campaigns that drive meaningful change. Throughout my career, I've spearheaded initiatives that have shaped policies and influenced decision-making at local, national, and international levels. Passionate about effecting positive societal change, I remain dedicated to leveraging my expertise to address pressing social issues and advocate for equitable solutions. ZZ: ¿Puedes comentarnos la situación de los derechos digitales en África? SE: According to the 2023 Freedom on the Net report by Freedom House, global internet freedom has been in decline for the 13th consecutive year, with 29 countries experiencing a deterioration of human rights online. The state of digital rights in Africa is alarming, marked by a concerning trend of erosion across the continent. Instances such as Nigeria's Twitter ban to Senegal's internet restrictions exemplify the extent to which governments are infringing upon citizens’ online freedoms. As the internet becomes increasingly integral to daily life, encompassing activities from business transactions to advocacy efforts, the struggle for access and internet freedom intensifies. However, this pursuit is countered by governments seeking to exert control over cyberspace, often through the enactment of cybercrime laws. While these laws are essential for addressing cyber threats such as fraud and hacking, many African countries have implemented legislation that is overly broad and lacks specificity. In their efforts to regulate online conduct, these laws frequently fail to clearly define what constitutes criminal behavior, leading to arbitrary enforcement and suppression of fundamental rights. For instance, in countries like Zambia and Tanzania, cybercrime laws have been weaponized to silence dissent and criminalize investigative journalism. Nigeria's 2015 Cybercrimes Act is another poignant example, having been repeatedly utilized to target journalists, bloggers, and ordinary citizens exercising their right to free expression. This confluence of restrictive legislation and authoritarian enforcement measures poses a significant threat to digital rights in Africa. [END] --- [1] Url: https://es.globalvoices.org/2024/06/05/tres-maneras-de-abordar-los-derechos-digitales-en-africa/ Published and (C) by Global Voices Content appears here under this condition or license: https://globalvoices.org/about/global-voices-attribution-policy/. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/globalvoices/