African Governments Vs. Citizens Online
February 7, 2022
As Market Research Telecast reports in a recent write-up, “Hacking: Demand for Products from the NSO Group and Co. Does Not Decrease.” As that piece points out, sales of the notorious Pegasus and other spyware continue to grow despite a rash of lawsuits, sanctions, and other threats against preeminent spyware vendor NSO. We see several examples of ways governments use such tools and other cyber strategies against their citizens, and some unintended consequences, in the Africa Center for Strategic Studies’ article, “Deluge of Digital Repression Threatens African Security.” Reporters Nathaniel Allen and Catherine Lena Kelly write:
“Digital repression is on the rise in many parts of Africa. Over a dozen African countries have recently experienced politically motivated internet shutdowns. Roughly the same number have been identified as operators of military-grade spyware (such as Pegasus, RCS, and FinFisher), which they use to track domestic political opponents and activists with the same vigor as criminals and terrorists. Governments employ automated tools to subject social media platforms to expansive surveillance. Increasingly, leaders are taking advantage of vague elements of recently passed cybercrime laws to expand executive powers to arrest activists and debilitate the free press. African leaders frequently portray digitally repressive tactics as necessary to combat threats from terrorism, organized crime, and secessionist violence. In fact, their main impact is to undermine the fundamental freedoms that make it possible for governments to be transparent, legitimate, and accountable to citizens.”
The thorough, link-filled article provides examples of such legislation leveraging, beginning with Tanzania. Information gathered with spyware is used against political opponents, journalists, and activists to blackmail, harass, or arrest them. Then there are other repressive tactics, like simply shutting down the Internet. This is a favorite ploy before and during contested elections and amid protests.
Allen and Kelly point out this irony: though governments often cite security as their excuse for implementing repressive policies, such measures often have the opposite effect by fueling political instability. Then there are the financial costs—like the rest of the world, much of Africa’s business has moved online. Politically motivated Internet shutdowns can be extremely pricy.
The article goes on to spell out some measures that can help combat misinformation and extremism online without sacrificing citizen rights. It also describes several citizen-centric organizations working to protect online freedoms in different parts of Africa. See the article for those details.
Cynthia Murrell, February 9, 2022
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