[kictanet] social media in UG blocked on election day

Fri Feb 19 05:28:37 EAT 2016

Hello all,

Thanks Percy for your email. In response to Ebele's email, the process used
to throttle the internet remains questionable. MTN issued a statement
indicating that a directive was received from the regulator. It's unclear
how long it will last.

See this blog from yesterday: http://ln.is/www.cipesa.org/2016/ItAHe

Best,
Juliet
On Feb 18, 2016 1:28 PM, "Ephraim Percy Kenyanito via kictanet" <
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:

> Hey guys,
>
> This week 
> I reached out to some of our Ugandan local partners on another mailing
> list in the event this would happen.
>
> The good thing is that there are free tools to circumvent such similar
> violations on the of freedom of expression. Please feel free to reach out
> to reach out to Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline
> <https://www.accessnow.org/digital-security-helpline/>,
> <https://www.accessnow.org/digital-security-helpline2/> through which
> activists, independent media, and civil society organizations across the
> globe can get real-time, direct technical assistance and advice 24 hours a
> day, seven days a week.
>
> Last Friday (12th) our 24 hour  Digital Security Helpline
> <https://www.accessnow.org/digital-security-helpline/> and some of our
> local partners detected a minor outage that lasted not more than an hour
> and this made us prepare for any eventuality.
>
> This is part of an unfortunate and growing trend. Rather than an
> exception, internet shutdowns are becoming the norm as more governments
> order the suspension or throttling of entire networks. Often justified for
> public safety purposes, shutdowns instead cut off access to vital
> information and emergency services, plunging whole societies into darkness.
>
> This is despite previous research showing that Internet Shutdowns and
> state violence Go hand
> <https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/06/research-shows-internet-shutdowns-and-state-violence-go-hand-hand-syria>
> in hand, and this is something Access Now and local partners documented
> while dealing with Internet Shutdowns in Egypt
> <https://www.accessnow.org/five-years-later-the-internet-shutdown-that-rocked-egypt/>,
> Sudan
> <https://www.accessnow.org/mass-internet-shutdown-in-sudan-follows-days-of-protest/>,
> the Central African Republic
> <https://www.accessnow.org/evidence-international-criminal-court-net-shutdown-in-central-african-repub/>,
> Niger <https://www.facebook.com/accessnow/posts/10153030213288480>, Democratic
> Republic of Congo
> <https://www.accessnow.org/violating-international-law-drc-orders-telcos-vodafone-millicon-airtel/>,
> Congo-Brazzaville
> <https://www.accessnow.org/government-may-have-ordered-internet-shutdown-in-congo-brazzaville/>,
> Burundi
> <https://www.accessnow.org/access-urges-un-and-african-union-experts-to-take-action-on-burundi-interne/>,
> among other places outside the African Union member states.
>
> A growing body of jurisprudence declares shutdowns to violate
> international law. U.N. and regional human rights experts issued an
> historic statement
> <https://www.accessnow.org/blog/2015/05/04/internet-kill-switches-are-a-violation-of-human-rights-law-declare-major-un>
> declaring that internet “kill switches” can never be justified under
> international human rights law, even in times of conflict. General Comment
> 34 of the 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.
>
> In times of shutdown, it is incumbent on the entire tech and telecom
> sector to join together to assert the rights of their users to freedom of
> expression, access to information, and assembly. Only by presenting a
> united front, and calling out the disproportionate and harmful impacts of
> government-ordered shutdowns, will the sector begin to mitigate and
> eventually prevent this abusive tactic.
> Please feel free to enlist the help of Access Now’s Digital Security
> Helpline <https://www.accessnow.org/digital-security-helpline/>, through
> which activists, independent media, and civil society organizations across
> the globe can get real-time, direct technical assistance and advice 24
> hours a day, seven days a week. These services, include:
>
>
>    1. Rapid response on digital security incidents
>    2. Personalized recommendations, instruction, and follow-up support on
>    digital security issues
>    3. Help assessing risks and creating organizational or community
>    security strategies
>    4. Guidance on security practices and tools for organizations,
>    communities, groups, and individuals
>    5. Support for securing technical infrastructure, websites, and social
>    media against attacks
>    6. Referrals, capacity-building, in-person consultations, and training
>    7. Education materials in multiple languages
>
> 
> 
> --
> Best Regards,
>
> *Ephraim Percy Kenyanito*
> Sub-Saharan Africa Policy Analyst
> Access Now | accessnow.org
>
> @ekenyanito
> PGP: E6BA8DC1
> Fingerprint: B0FA394AF73DEB7AA1FDC7360CFED26DE6BA8DC1
>
> *Subscribe *to the Access Now Express
> <https://www.accessnow.org/campaign/#sign-up>, our weekly newsletter on
> digital rights
> *Sign up* for our action alerts <https://www.accessnow.org/campaign/>
>
> On 18 Feb 2016 12:21, "Ebele Okobi via kictanet" <
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>
>> Was it announced as a temporary block, or an ongoing block? If the
>> former, did they announce a date by which it would end? And have they
>> simply asked operators to throttle access? I’m curious w/r to the
>> democratic process they invoked, and the basis they used.
>>
>> [image: Description: Description: Description:
>> cid:image001.png at 01C8F888.8FCCE630]
>>
>>
>> Ebele Okobi | Head of Public Policy, Africa
>>
>> m. +44 (0) 771 156 1315
>>
>> 2 Stephen St | London | W1T 1AN
>>
>> ebeleokobi at fb.com
>>
>>
>>
>> From: "Juliet Nanfuka." <juliet at cipesa.org>
>> Date: Thursday, February 18, 2016 at 9:10 AM
>> To: Ebele Okobi <ebeleokobi at fb.com>
>> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
>> Subject: Re: [kictanet] social media in UG blocked on election day
>>
>> Hello Ebele,
>>
>> There was a televised interview with the commission earlier.
>> On Feb 18, 2016 12:04 PM, "Ebele Okobi" <ebeleokobi at fb.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Have they made a public statement?
>>>
>>> [image: Description: Description: Description:
>>> cid:image001.png at 01C8F888.8FCCE630]
>>>
>>>
>>> Ebele Okobi | Head of Public Policy, Africa
>>>
>>> m. +44 (0) 771 156 1315
>>>
>>> 2 Stephen St | London | W1T 1AN
>>>
>>> ebeleokobi at fb.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> From: kictanet <kictanet-bounces+ebeleokobi=fb.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
>>> on behalf of "Juliet Nanfuka. via kictanet" <
>>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
>>> Reply-To: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>>> >
>>> Date: Thursday, February 18, 2016 at 8:59 AM
>>> To: Ebele Okobi <ebeleokobi at fb.com>
>>> Cc: "Juliet Nanfuka." <juliet at cipesa.org>
>>> Subject: Re: [kictanet] social media in UG blocked on election day
>>>
>>> Hello Riva,
>>>
>>> Yes were have been following the developments and have access to social
>>> media.
>>>
>>> Blockage has been confirmed by the Uganda Communications Commission.
>>>
>>> Kind regards,
>>> Juliet
>>> CIPESA colleagues, are you able to access social media?
>>>
>>>
>>> http://www.theinsider.ug/uganda-blocks-facebook-twitter-on-election-day-as-ballots-go-missing/
>>> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.theinsider.ug_uganda-2Dblocks-2Dfacebook-2Dtwitter-2Don-2Delection-2Dday-2Das-2Dballots-2Dgo-2Dmissing_&d=CwMFaQ&c=5VD0RTtNlTh3ycd41b3MUw&r=ArvepG4_wcNu_X9xi3nb_Xa9WsGLVfmK6mwPdVONOTE&m=9tc64KG88b_SNNXgX7PKOY4ijVkgo73ucs0PF_iRjUo&s=fk6iwDjfossJPHwnK3k5wBGEFeS4OocCjZ1SGu0Ziyk&e=>
>>>
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>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>
>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> kictanet mailing list
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>
> Unsubscribe or change your options at
> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/juliet%40cipesa.org
>
> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>
> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>
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