[kictanet] social media in UG blocked on election day

Wed Feb 24 17:22:16 EAT 2016

http://cio.co.ke/news/main-stories/un,-au-petitioned-over-internet-shutdown-in-uganda

UN, AU petitioned over Internet shutdown in Uganda

--
Best Regards,

*Ephraim Percy Kenyanito*
Sub-Saharan Africa Policy Analyst
Access Now | accessnow.org

@ekenyanito
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On 19 February 2016 at 07:53, WANGARI KABIRU via kictanet <
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:

> Happy Furahi Day!
>
> Peaceful, progressive elections to our Ugandan relatives! You and your
> country are our home too.
>
> Without necessarily going into the political interests and whether this is
> right/wrong, justifiable or not, this situation also raises *"on the role
> of the respective service providers in customer service*.
>
> On how prepared they are with back-up or alternative temporary services in
> the event their mainstream services "collapse" for any reason within our
> markets. Their customers have invested heavily in data, networks, storage
> of information and livelihoods thus customers rely on them to be available.
>
> It would be perplexing if the only way to access services is through what
> may be viewed as back-door services by another provider circumventing your
> own systems or directing the customer to a new service (...potential loss
> of customer in future).
>
> For instance whereby a bank's only ATM system is faulty within a town, one
> would expect the bank staff to "camp with a lorry of money" at the ATM
> point to serve customers or on the other hand open a quick arrangement with
> another bank with a functional ATM to serve its customers temporarily- on
> their behalf.
> With the current scenario of back-door management, we would have some
> ingenious characters break into the bank and start servicing the bank's
> customers or the customers wait until the bank's services are restored.
>
> We have  had similar situations with services such as mobile money and the
> customer is at the mercy of the providers for instance during back up and
> maintenance - until they restore their services make use of the competitor
> alternative or wait.
>
> On a lighter note, yesterday on air, one radio caller enquired as to why
> there was no hue and cry when Mrs.Clinton and Condolleza visited Kenya and
> there was "blockage" to some services and slowing down of  services for
> communication. On the other hand it was noted that during President Obama
> and the Pope's visit this was not obviously evident. Perhaps reflecting
> improvement in the capabilities of the security agency capabilities or
> complexity of the newer communication tools or appreciation that all
> require to be secure for you to be too. .
>
> Blessed day and happy weekend!
>
> Regards/Wangari
>
> ---
> Pray God Bless. 2013Wangari circa - "Being of the Light, We are Restored
> Through Faith in Mind, Body and Spirit; We Manifest The Kingdom of God on
> Earth".
>
>
> On Friday, 19 February 2016, 5:35, Juliet Nanfuka. via kictanet <
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>
>
> 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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> Unsubscribe or change your options at
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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
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
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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.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> kictanet mailing list
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>
> Unsubscribe or change your options at
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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
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>
> Unsubscribe or change your options at
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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.
>
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