Censorship is increasing in Africa. Recent social media blocks at elections in Uganda, Congo and Chad to control more and more of Ethiopia on the Internet, it appears censorship is on the rise across the continent. In many cases, the state-owned telecommunications have full control over the Internet and can pass the censorship accordingly. In this post, we take a deep look at several African countries and Internet restrictions they face.
A Censored not free experience of Internet in Africa
There are many African countries that do not have a free Internet experience
Eritrea :. Eritrea would be the most censored country in the world, and their repressive climate develops the internet and journalism which are heavily censored :.
government controls the Internet and all media in Eritrea, creating a restrictive environment for the press
- Committee to protect journalists
the media is under tight control, and the state media can not share news. Others run the fear of arrest, and the Internet is controlled by only the EriTel telecommunications company in the country. All mobile communications must go through EriTel, and all ISPs should use the gateway controlled by the government. Internet access in the country is also very limited, with less than 1% of people going online
Ethiopia :. Ethiopia is one of the most censored country in the world, frequently appearing on the lists of countries that suffer from extreme censorship. Recently (March 2016), it was reported that Ethiopia continues to rage against journalists and censorship of information. Restricted aggravation "Some social media sites were blocked, and the first security officials in March arrested two international journalists during the night while trying to report on events." In July 2016, Ethiopia has blocked several major social media sites, including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - as well as the messaging application Viber - amid a flight of the final exam university. The block lasted 5 days and was said to prevent students from "distraction" of their studides.
Ethiopian journalists to choose between self-censorship, prison or exile.
- Foreign Policy in Focus
In early April, Twitter & WhatsApp were blocked in Ethiopia for more than a month, while the region known events. Facebook messaging has been blocked by the state monopoly Ethio Telecom and mobile data connections have also been targeted.
This type of censorship is in progress for some time. In 2015 Ethiopia has blocked a large number (over 100) of news and opposition websites before the elections. Bloggers and activists were arrested, and some have even been accused of terrorism. The state-controlled Ethio Telecom telecommunications company is the only Internet provider in the country and regularly suspends critical information websites
Sudan :. In 2015, the slow Internet speeds were reported during periods "politically contentious." In other words, it seems that the government was strangling these connections. Sudan also has a Freedom of Access to Information Law , which classifies 12 types of information that is limited by the citizens. The law legalizes censorship and censorship of news, so people are not aware of what was happening. In addition, online journalists and activists were arrested and taken new hacked (and intimidated) before the elections
Egypt :. Egyptians have long fought for their government less oppressive censorship, and in recent years, Egypt has witnessed many types of media censorship. You can learn more about our previous blog post.
A "partly free" The Internet experience in Africa
According to Freedom on the Net 2015, many African countries enjoy an Internet experience that is "partially . free "These countries are: Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi
Nigeria . regarding [duNigeria Act 2015 cybercrime was signed into law last year and may violate the right to privacy and freedom of expression in Nigeria. however, social media is generally used as a positive tool for communicating during the elections. And in May 2016, Nigeria withdrew its bill on anti-social media, as it was considered the bill violates the citizens' rights (among other things) - definitely a "win" for freedom of expression in the country
Rwanda. Rwanda implemented when blocking the BBC showed a documentary about the country they deem questionable. private WhatsApp monitoring and Skype messages of a popular singer was conducted, and led to the prison sentence of the singer
Zambia :. Censorship in Zambia improves without blocked sites. However, there are threats of blocking blogs and websites, spyware and Zambia have bought to use for monitoring
Zimbabwe :. The Facebook page of a whistleblower was taken down, and two people were arrested at the same time. A citizen who has initiated a protest on Facebook also disappearances. In July 2016, Zimbabwe has blocked websites and social media applications such as WhatsApp. . The country is also reportedly looking to build a "single Internet gateway," or what we call a "firewall" to filter all content in the country
Uganda: Uganda recently blocked social media on election day. Visit our website for detailed more
An Internet experience in Africa
Africa South :. Although South Africa was ranked "Free" for their Internet experience (one of the few African countries to be classified as such) to the end of 2015 a new censorship law was proposed by the film and the Council of publication that "regulate online content" and impose a lot of censorship. The law would apply to games and movies distributed online publications that include "forms of sex, violence, hate speech," with implications for the distribution of content. It is disturbing to see a law like the one proposed in a country free elsewhere
Kenya :. Kenya is a good example of a free Internet experience. Blogging is popular, and there is a defined legal process to remove "defamatory." There are still moderate censure reported, however, that bloggers and social media users critical of the government were arrested for "misuse of equipment telecommunicaitons under license."
Conclusion
As you can see, many African countries suffer from a kind of censorship or lack basic Internet freedoms. This censorship seems to be increasing in some places, causing concern for Internet users in the region and for Internet freedom around the world. Also read this excellent article on the BBC how governments in Africa social media block.
In addition to the related sources, freedom on the Net 2015 was used as a reference to this position.
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