August 2017 - KICTANet

Fwd: [ALAC-Announce] ICANN News Alert -- Changing the Keys for the Internet’s Addressing System – Don’t Get Locked Out
by Ali Hussein 17 Aug '17

17 Aug '17

Listers and especially ISPs and Telcos this might be of interest. Ali Hussein Principal Hussein & Associates +254 0713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." ~ Aristotle Sent from my iPad Begin forwarded message: > From: ICANN At-Large Staff <staff(a)atlarge.icann.org> > Date: 17 August 2017 at 3:31:44 PM EAT > To: ALAC Announce <alac-announce(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org> > Subject: [ALAC-Announce] ICANN News Alert -- Changing the Keys for the Internet’s Addressing System – Don’t Get Locked Out > > > [icann.org] > News Alert > > https://www.icann.org/resources/press-material/release-2017-08-16-en[icann.… > > Changing the Keys for the Internet’s Addressing System – Don’t Get Locked Out > 16 August 2017 > > Los Angeles, California… For the first time ever, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is about to change the cryptographic keys that help secure the Internet's Domain Name System (DNS). > > "It is critical that Internet Service Providers and network operators around the world make certain they are ready for this change as failure to do so can result in their users being unable to look up domain names and thus be unable to reach any site on the Internet" said David Conrad, ICANN's Chief Technology Officer. Conrad added, "Network operators should ensure they have up-to-date software, have enabled DNSSEC, and verified that their systems can update their keys automatically or they have processes in place to manually update to the new key by 1600 UTC on 11 October 2017." > > The changing, or "rolling" of the key, is an important step in keeping the global DNS safe and secure. It is very much in line with commonly accepted operational practices that ensure that important security infrastructure can support changing password if the need were to ever arise. > > "We've launched a testing platform so network operators can make certain that they are ready for the key roll well ahead of October 11," said Conrad. That testing platform can be accessed at: https://go.icann.org/KSKtest[go.icann.org]. Internet users should contact their ISP or network operators to make certain they are ready for the key change. > > ICANN has been working with technical partners such as the Regional Internet Registries, Network Operations Groups, and domain name registries and registrars as well as others in the Internet ecosystem, such as the Internet Society and Internet trade associations, to make certain that those around the world who may be impacted by the key roll are aware of the pending change. > > ICANN Chief Executive Officer Göran Marby has sent correspondence to more than 170 government officials including regulators and participants in ICANN's Government Advisory Committee, asking that they make certain the network operators in their respective countries are aware and ready for the key change. > > To learn more about the pending Key Roll, go here: https://www.icann.org/kskroll[icann.org]. > > To join the conversation on Twitter use #KeyRoll. > > # # # > > Media Contacts > > Brad White > Director of Communications, North America > Washington, D.C. > Tel: +1 202 570 7118 > Email: brad.white(a)icann.org > > Alexandra Dans > Senior Manager, Latin America and Caribbean Communications > Montevideo, Uruguay > Tel: +598 95 831 442 > Email: alexandra.dans(a)icann.org > > About ICANN > > ICANN's mission is to help ensure a stable, secure and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet, you have to type an address into your computer - a name or a number. That address has to be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers across the world. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a not-for-profit public-benefit corporation and a community with participants from all over the world. ICANN and its community help keep the Internet secure, stable and interoperable. It also promotes competition and develops policy for the top-level of the Internet's naming system and facilitates the use of other unique Internet identifiers. For more information please visit: www.icann.org[icann.org]. > _______________________________________________ > ALAC-Announce mailing list > ALAC-Announce(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org > https://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/alac-announce > > At-Large Official Site: http://www.atlarge.icann.org

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Talk to NCIC Day 1: Users and Fake News
by Matunda Nyanchama 17 Aug '17

17 Aug '17

Friends, Here is my take on the above, some of which may have been expressed by others. a) Why is there an increase in the prevalence of Fake News recently? - Propaganda has been with mankind since time immemorial; it is not new. Fake news is not new. For example, it is said that in the days of apartheid in South Africa, the white supremacist regime routinely planted stories in print newspapers that passed as the "truth". The challenges of recognizing what was fake then were harder as the world was less interconnected than it is today, let alone the cost of associated communication. - Also, lies travel much faster than the truth as captured by such quotes as (i) a lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." - Charles Spurgeon; or (ii) "Falsehood flies, and the truth comes limping after it." - Jonathan Swift - In my view what the Internet has done is to aggravate the situation due to the speed at which information (fake and otherwise) travels in a "borderless" world. The proliferation of social media and seamless manner in which messages flow back and forth across platforms (Facebook, twitter, Instagram, etc.) only exacerbates the situation, making the situation worse. - On the other hand, many organizations/agencies/parties/individuals aren't prepared for the rapid response that would counter such lies. The amount of resources and associated expertise that would go with such preparedness is something that many organizations/agencies/parties/individuals are coming to terms with. In the last elections, it is said (I can't confirm this) that some entities (parties, candidates, etc.) hired teams of bloggers to generate fake news as part of the propaganda campaign, a key component of their election strategy. b) What is the role of different categories of users in combating Fake News? - Awareness and Response with healthy skepticism: o Individuals and organisations need to be aware of existence of fake news. As such awareness is a first step. They must learn to treat everything with skepticism and with an attitude of "trust but verify". In this respect Facebook has done a great on how to recognize fake news. o Individuals and organizations should hesitate to forward/share/proliferate anything that appears suspect. In many respects, some forward such material based on how it resonates/echoes with their inner tendencies. Thus NASA supporters may be more inclined to share (widely) that which appears to be inimical to Jubilee and vice versa. o In the same vein, such individuals and organizations should openly express reservations regarding such content and reasons thereof. That would also make others be more attentive to concerns raised. - When affected o Individuals and organizations that are subject of fake news should rapidly respond and put things right! . Fake news that remains unchallenged becomes the "truth". . - Future Preparedness o Individuals and organizations should be prepared to face fake news when it happens. In that respect, they need to put their ears to the ground, as it were, in readiness for anything untoward. - The Law o I haven't perused the most recent versions of cyber bill in Kenya to see whether it accommodates this aspect of criminal behaviour. As well, I am not sure how the penal code address such fake news in the analog world. The law needs to address. . btw in cyberspace the challenge is that of investigation to establish the actual culprits. c) Have Kenyans given up or are there good practices in combating? I am not aware of evidence to reach such a conclusion. However, my sense is that Kenyans appear overwhelmed and that those that get affected are not as prepared for response as would be desirable. Indeed, considering that many are confronting this for the first time leaves that confused as to how to effectively respond. d) Is Fake News a manifestation of deeper societal issues and if so, are there ways of combating it other than resolving the societal issues? - Freedom of expression of the kind we have today is unprecedented in history. The "democratization" of cyberspace (given the low entry costs) allows every Tom, Dick and Harry as much as access as anyone out there. It enables access and express for the ethical and unethical. The elite can have a voice as much as the lowliest of the low in society. - On the other hand, this unprecedented freedom of expression provides a good vent for pressures in society where many did not have such opportunities in the past. Our history in Kenya records repression of expression. My guess is that there is thin link to our historical past. (NB: it would be interesting to do a comparative study of the rate of occurrence of fake news in such societies as in the western world versus those like our own. It would be one way of establishing whether there is a link between the rate of occurrence of fake news and a society's past.) - The false sense of online anonymity exacerbates the situation. Studies on individuals' online behaviour unmask many aspects of human conduct that otherwise ordinary lives do not reveal. A good example is a person's search history! Fake news could be seen in such light! - The weak deterrent measures allow perpetrators to continue perpetuating such behaviour. The transnational nature of such transgressions, makes deterrence non-trivial! e) We have Bloggers who are seen as influencers. Do they have a higher duty when communicating? - Unlike professional journalists, bloggers have no enforceable code of ethics. However, they should be demonstrate ethical conduct. This is especially so for those seen to have substantial influence. . I doubt that mainstream media can get away with what some of such bloggers get away with. . the challenge is how to remedy this situation. We should explore how other jurisdictions are handling similar cases for any lessons on handling such cases. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Matunda Nyanchama, PhD, CISSP; Director & Managing Consultant, <mailto:mnyanchama@aganoconsulting.com> mnyanchama(a)aganoconsulting.com Agano Consulting Inc.; <http://www.aganoconsulting.com/> www.aganoconsulting.com; Twitter: <http://twitter.com/#%21/nmatunda> nmatunda; Skype: okiambe ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------- Manage your ICT risks! We are the experts you need! The trusted partners you deserve! Call: +254-20-267-0743 (Kenya) or info(a)aganoconsulting.com Licensed by Communications Authority of Kenya (CA)

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Decision 2017 - Technology, People, Processes
by Harry Delano 16 Aug '17

16 Aug '17

Are we at a cross road for the umpteenth time..? With tech coming under an even sharper focus this cycle..? What about people and processes..? I aver that it behoves the tech community to guide an objectively sober discourse to interrogate what was, what should have been and what should be - with a firm view on clearing these blind spots once and for all - objectively and with sobriety if we can and devoid of emotive political undertones for posterity. Harry

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AVF Academy
by Sidney Ochieng 16 Aug '17

16 Aug '17

Hi everyone, On behalf of Africa's Voices, I'd like to invite you to join us for our inaugural academy in Nairobi, 18th-21st September <http://www.africasvoices.org/ideas/avf-academy-2017/>. Our senior team will be presenting practical and engaging sessions on cutting-edge research techniques, with a focus on leveraging digital channels. In particular, I think you will enjoy Modules 2 and 3, led by our senior researchers: Dr. Claudia Abreu Lopes and Dr. Matti Pohjonen. These modules will explore how big data can be applied to social sciences, with hands-on training, and the potential of social media for research and citizen engagement. They will use Africa's Voices projects as case studies, and invite you to bring your own examples and projects to the discussion. You can register for the academy, and select which modules you would like to attend, via this form. <https://africasvoices.typeform.com/to/g8EKDq>

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Re: [kictanet] Talk to NCIC Day 1: Users and Fake News
by Admin CampusCiti 16 Aug '17

16 Aug '17

Listers I will attempt to address these questions. (a) Why is there an increase in the prevalence of Fake News recently? Fake News is not a new phenomena. We can trace the origins of Fake News to the origins of Propaganda. Originally the word Propaganda was derived from a new administrative body of the Catholic church (congregation) created in 1622, called the Congregatio de Propaganda Fide (Congregation for Propagating the Faith), or informally simply Propaganda. Its activity was aimed at "propagating" the Catholic faith in non-Catholic countries. Propaganda is information that is not objective and is used primarily to influence an audience and further an agenda, often by presenting facts selectively to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded language to produce an emotional rather than a rational response to the information. So, looking at this from a wider perspective we have simply replaced the word Propaganda with Fake News. More importantly the advent of the Internet and Social Media has 'democratized' Propaganda and simply renamed it Fake News. Leading up to the second world war the Nazi Regime of Germany went to the unprecedented extent of creating a Ministry of Propaganda. The Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda (Reichsministerium für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda, RMVP or Propagandaministerium) was a Nazi government agency to enforce Nazi ideology. This is probably the most infamous use of Fake News the world ever and in history. That is the extent of how detrimental the use of Fake News can be - 6 million jews were killed. Closer to home we know what happened in Rwanda during and before the Genocide. From where I sit, the biggest culprits of Fake News the world over are State Players as opposed to individuals. And more often than not it is used for very specific political reasons. Let's look at the situation in Kenya today and the use of deep analytics, big data and hyper targeting of prospective voters to influence people's views and hence voting patterns. The two major proponents in this election are both guilty of super negative messaging using the above mentioned. My humbly take then on this issue is that NCIC should do the following:- 1. Work with the big players in the Digital Marketing Space (Facebook, Google, Twitter, Marketing Services Agencies, Major Brands and influencers) to come up with a Best Practice Manual on how to:- a) Dissuade players from using Fake News to influence audiences. b) Explaining to players what constitutes Fake News and the negative effects it has. c) Education, Education, Education on what constitutes Fake news and how not to (1) get influenced by them through detecting them and (2) spread them. (b) What is the role of different categories of users in combating Fake News? The onus is on us as different players to understand and combat this new Propaganda paradigm. The days of State Players being the only ones able to use Propaganda as a tool is long gone. One thing I'd advise is for us to help NCIC and other regulators to upgrade their regulatory tools to take into cognisance the New Digital Reality. (c) Have Kenyans given up or are there good practices in combating Fake News? Global Players like Google and Facebook are doing a lot in this area. We can learn from them. We as Kenyans should fight the Fake News phenomenon irrespective of who is propagating it. I fear however that this is easier said than done because unfortunately Fake News, like almost everything else in this country, takes on Ethnic and Political dimensions. (d) Is Fake News a manifestation of deeper societal issues and if so, are there ways of combating it other than resolving the societal issues? As a society we need to look deep into ourselves and ask where we are going as a country. We are more fragmented as a people than we are at independence. Fake News is just a mirror of who we are as a people and as a country. Our leaders are a reflection of us. If you want to see what is wrong with this country look no further than the Mirror. (e) We have Bloggers who are seen as influencers. Do they have a higher duty when communicating? Each and everyone of us is an Influencer. At home with your kids, at work with your colleagues, in the streets with your fellow Kenyans online with your followers, fans and connections. What you say and do influences. The 'Pen' is a more powerful tool than a gun. Use it wisely. Lastly, NCIC Vision and Mission is as below:- Vision A peaceful, united, harmonious and integrated Kenyan society Mission Develop and sustain processes that alleviate all forms of ethnic discrimination and promote diversity through knowledge creation, capacity building, advocacy and pertinent policy development I ask them. What is the score card since you were inaugurated with the new constitution and how can we all as Kenyans help you to help us achieve the Vision? Regards Ali Hussein Principal Hussein & Associates Tel: +254 713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim 13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing, Chiromo Road, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya. Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the organizations that I work with. Ali Hussein Hussein & Associates +254 0713 601113 / 0770906375 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim Blog: www.alyhussein.com "Discovery consists in seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought". ~ Albert Szent-Györgyi Sent from my iPad > On Wed, Aug 16, 2017 at 10:02 AM, kanini mutemi via kictanet <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > Good morning Listers, > > Let me start of by thanking NCIC for their willingness to engage on this issue. We look forward to a a great discussion and pragmatic proposals. > > We had a discussion on this during the PRE KIGF ONLINE DISCUSSION DAY 2- FAKE NEWS DURING ELECTIONEERING. > I will say at that time, the impact of Fake News was not apparent. Times have since changed as we have now witnessed numerous 'Fake News' posts which go viral within minutes. Following the election results, posts on alleged instances of violence and of government action in parts of the country have dominated social media platforms. On several occasions, government officials, media houses and diligent citizens have come forward to denounce these posts as 'Fake News'. Photos that were first presented as true accounts of the situation on the ground were later discovered to be old photos of past events. At the same time, there have been instances where posts were quickly dismissed as 'Fake News' even when there was evidence later on that they were indeed factual reports. There is therefore a need for us to navigate through this issue carefully. > > Just for the record, it was agreed previously that the definition we are working with is Fake News refers to disinformation which GG aptly put as: fabricated news that has no basis in fact, but is presented as being factually accurate. > > With this in mind, I invite you to engage on the questions below: > > (a) Why is there an increase in the prevalence of Fake News recently? > > > (b) What is the role of different categories of users in combating Fake News? > > > (c) Have Kenyans given up or are there good practices in combating Fake News? > > > (d) Is Fake News a manifestation of deeper societal issues and if so, are there ways of combating it other than resolving the societal issues? > > > (e) We have Bloggers who are seen as influencers. Do they have a higher duty when communicating? > > > -- > Mercy Mutemi. > > > > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet > Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ > > Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com > > 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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Re: [kictanet] Talk to NCIC Day 1: Users and Fake News
by Ali Hussein 16 Aug '17

16 Aug '17

Listers I will attempt to address these questions. *(a) Why is there an increase in the prevalence of Fake News recently?* Fake News is not a new phenomena. We can trace the origins of Fake News to the origins of Propaganda. Originally the word Propaganda was derived from a new administrative body of the Catholic church (congregation) created in 1622, called the Congregatio de Propaganda Fide (Congregation for Propagating the Faith), or informally simply Propaganda. Its activity was aimed at "propagating" the Catholic faith in non-Catholic countries. Propaganda is information that is not objective and is used primarily to influence an audience and further an agenda, often by presenting facts selectively to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded language to produce an emotional rather than a rational response to the information. So, looking at this from a wider perspective we have simply replaced the word Propaganda with Fake News. More importantly the advent of the Internet and Social Media has 'democratized' Propaganda and simply renamed it Fake News. Leading up to the second world war the Nazi Regime of Germany went to the unprecedented extent of creating a Ministry of Propaganda. The Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda (Reichsministerium für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda, RMVP or Propagandaministerium) was a Nazi government agency to enforce Nazi ideology. This is probably the most infamous use of Fake News the world ever and in history. That is the extent of how detrimental the use of Fake News can be - 6 million jews were killed. Closer to home we know what happened in Rwanda during and before the Genocide. >From where I sit, the biggest culprits of Fake News the world over are State Players as opposed to individuals. And more often than not it is used for very specific political reasons. Let's look at the situation in Kenya today and the use of deep analytics, big data and hyper targeting of prospective voters to influence people's views and hence voting patterns. The two major proponents in this election are both guilty of super negative messaging using the above mentioned. My humbly take then on this issue is that NCIC should do the following:- 1. Work with the big players in the Digital Marketing Space (Facebook, Google, Twitter, Marketing Services Agencies, Major Brands and influencers) to come up with a Best Practice Manual on how to:- a) Dissuade players from using Fake News to influence audiences. b) Explaining to players what constitutes Fake News and the negative effects it has. c) Education, Education, Education on what constitutes Fake news and how not to (1) get influenced by them through detecting them and (2) spread them. *(b) What is the role of different categories of users in combating Fake News?* The onus is on us as different players to understand and combat this new Propaganda paradigm. The days of State Players being the only ones able to use Propaganda as a tool is long gone. One thing I'd advise is for us to help NCIC and other regulators to upgrade their regulatory tools to take into cognisance the New Digital Reality. *(c) Have Kenyans given up or are there good practices in combating Fake News?* Global Players like Google and Facebook are doing a lot in this area. We can learn from them. We as Kenyans should fight the Fake News phenomenon irrespective of who is propagating it. I fear however that this is easier said than done because unfortunately Fake News, like almost everything else in this country, takes on Ethnic and Political dimensions. *(d) Is Fake News a manifestation of deeper societal issues and if so, are there ways of combating it other than resolving the societal issues?* As a society we need to look deep into ourselves and ask where we are going as a country. We are more fragmented as a people than we are at independence. Fake News is just a mirror of who we are as a people and as a country. Our leaders are a reflection of us. If you want to see what is wrong with this country look no further than the Mirror. *(e) We have Bloggers who are seen as influencers. Do they have a higher duty when communicating?* Each and everyone of us is an Influencer. At home with your kids, at work with your colleagues, in the streets with your fellow Kenyans online with your followers, fans and connections. What you say and do influences. The 'Pen' is a more powerful tool than a gun. Use it wisely. Lastly, NCIC Vision and Mission is as below:- *Vision* A peaceful, united, harmonious and integrated Kenyan society *Mission* Develop and sustain processes that alleviate all forms of ethnic discrimination and promote diversity through knowledge creation, capacity building, advocacy and pertinent policy development I ask them. *What is the score card since you were inaugurated with the new constitution and how can we all as Kenyans help you to help us achieve the Vision?* Regards *Ali Hussein* *Principal* *Hussein & Associates* Tel: +254 713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim> 13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing, Chiromo Road, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya. Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the organizations that I work with. On Wed, Aug 16, 2017 at 10:02 AM, kanini mutemi via kictanet < kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > Good morning Listers, > > Let me start of by thanking NCIC for their willingness to engage on this > issue. We look forward to a a great discussion and pragmatic proposals. > > We had a discussion on this during the PRE KIGF ONLINE DISCUSSION DAY 2- > FAKE NEWS DURING ELECTIONEERING. > <https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxmvjvsBlX3dUmVfS3IyaTdkZ0U/view> > I will say at that time, the impact of Fake News was not apparent. Times > have since changed as we have now witnessed numerous 'Fake News' posts > which go viral within minutes. Following the election results, posts on > alleged instances of violence and of government action in parts of the > country have dominated social media platforms. On several occasions, > government officials, media houses and diligent citizens have come forward > to denounce these posts as 'Fake News'. Photos that were first presented as > true accounts of the situation on the ground were later discovered to be > old photos of past events. At the same time, there have been instances > where posts were quickly dismissed as 'Fake News' even when there was > evidence later on that they were indeed factual reports. There is therefore > a need for us to navigate through this issue carefully. > > Just for the record, it was agreed previously that the definition we are > working with is Fake News refers to disinformation which GG aptly put as: *fabricated > news that has no basis in fact, but is presented as being factually > accurate. * > > With this in mind, I invite you to engage on the questions below: > > > > > *(a) Why is there an increase in the prevalence of Fake News recently?* > > > > *(b) What is the role of different categories of users in combating Fake > News?* > > > > *(c) Have Kenyans given up or are there good practices in combating Fake > News?* > > > *(d) Is Fake News a manifestation of deeper societal issues and if so, are > there ways of combating it other than resolving the societal issues?* > > *(e) We have Bloggers who are seen as influencers. Do they have a higher > duty when communicating?* > > > -- > *Mercy Mutemi*. > > > > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet > Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ > > Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/ > mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com > > 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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Talk to NCIC on hate speech, fake news and social media
by Grace Githaiga 15 Aug '17

15 Aug '17

Listers Further to our production of the policy brief on Internet Shutdowns in which we called on the relevant authorities to uphold the freedom of expression during elections, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) https://www.cohesion.or.ke/ whose overall objective is to encourage national cohesion and integration, reached out to us to us today. Their main concern is that some social media users have gone overboard in heightening emotions through sharing of false information, fake news and what is considered hate speech. As KICTANet, we can contribute to possible interventions in such away as to moderate some of these conversations. In the same way that we have engaged with other partners, we propose a moderated discussion with NCIC for three days (tomorrow Wednesday 16 to Friday 18, August 2017). This discussion may also be to offer the Commission your suggestions on possible approaches. The NCIC team that includes staff and some commissioners have been subscribed here. So they are listening! This will be followed by a face to face meeting sometime next week, where the NCIC team will respond to concerns that you may wish to further raise with them, or simply listen to your recommendation. We will advise you on the date and venue in due course. Day 1 Introduction Fake news is essentially fabricated news that has no basis in fact, but is presented as being factually accurate. The electioneering period in Kenya saw a rapid spread of fake news that manifested itself in several ways on the internet. These included content on websites or social media pages that was outright false, deliberately misleading, manipulated, fabricated, or with made-up sources, fake websites that mimic legitimate ones etc. Unfortunately, several social media users have fallen prey to this type of news and have ended up sharing such information without verification. This was for example, evident in the events that followed the announcement of presidential results, where the rapid spread of unverified information, including hate speech, that heightened fear, anxiety and tension across the country, reminiscent of the 2007 post-election period. While Kenya’s Constitution enshrines freedom of expression, it also limits this right to exclude incitement to violence, hate speech and advocacy for incitement that is discriminatory or that constitutes ethnic incitement, vilification of others or incitement to cause harm. According to section 13 of the NCIC Act, the offence of hate speech is committed when a person uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or displays any written material; publishes or distributes written material; presents or directs the performance the public performance of a play; distributes, shows or plays, a recording of visual images; or provides, produces or directs a programme, which is threatening, abusive or insulting or involves the use of threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior commits an offence if such person intends thereby to stir up ethnic hatred, or having regard to all the circumstances, ethnic hatred is likely to be stirred up. the penalty is fine not exceeding one million shillings or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both. The rise in disinformation on the Internet in Kenya brings to fore the challenges of regulating social media platforms and content in general. This is a global problem and the current problem in Kenya provides an opportunity for actors to contribute to this discussion. The problem can be assessed from different angles. At the basic level are users who contribute to the Internet economy by having online presences. However, when they produce and share disinformation, whether with good or bad intention, they make the Internet a toxic space and their actions can have dangerous effects offline. At a second level are platforms where the content is shared. The rise in use of the platforms therefore makes public policy advocates interrogate the role of the platforms in combating the spread of such content and therefore preventing offline harm. Finally, there are regulators and government agencies in Kenya that were established to regulate aspects of communication technologies and promote national cohesion in Kenya. The current situation has seen affected Kenyans look up to them to provide leadership at this critical time. The rise of fake news and hate speech was discussed on KICTANet in the runup to the annual Kenya IGF in July 2017. The magnitude of the problem however requires experts to come together and not only help Kenyans understand the problem but also offer solutions on how best to resolve the problem, both in the immediate and long term. Suggested Questions Day One: Users and Fake News * Why is there an increase in the prevalence of fake news recently? * What is the role of different categories of users in combating fake news? * Have Kenyans given up or are there good practices in combating fake news? * Is fake news a manifestation of deeper societal issues and if so, are there any ways to combat it other than resolving the societal issues? * We have Bloggers who are seen as influencers. Do have a higher duty when communicating? Day Two: Platform Responsibility * What should platforms such as Facebook and Google be doing to reduce the effect of fake news? * Is Kenya’s problem so unique that it requires localised solutions by platforms? * What is the role of media in combating fake news? * Is the Kenyan media doing enough? Day Three: Government Agencies and Regulator * Given the effect of fake news in Kenya, does it cross the “red line”. In other words, is fake news illegal if it leads to incitement? * Do the two main agencies NCIC and CA have sufficient mandate to combat fake news? * If not, is it time we regulated social media use? How? Best regards Githaiga, Grace Co-Convenor Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) Twitter:@ggithaiga Tel: 254722701495 Skype: gracegithaiga Alternate email: ggithaiga(a)hotmail.com Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracegithaiga www.kictanet.or.ke "Change only happens when ordinary people get involved, get engaged and come together to demand it. I am asking you to believe. Not in my ability to bring about change – but in yours"---Barrack Obama.

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Fake News and the Kenyan General Election
by Eric Mugendi 14 Aug '17

14 Aug '17

Hello Listers, I had a chat with Andile Masuku of Africa Tech Roundup <http://africantechroundup.com> one day before the General Election on how fake news has influenced public sentiment. Do have a listen. https://soundcloud.com/african-tech-round-up/kenya-general-election-2017-th… Regards, Eric Eric Mugendi about.me/mugendi [image: Eric Mugendi on about.me] <http://about.me/mugendi>

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Re: [kictanet] Sarahah Application, perfect recipe for cyber bullying?
by Gladys Muthie 13 Aug '17

13 Aug '17

http://m.indiatoday.in/lite/story/sarahah-app-is-a-reflection-of-everything… On Aug 12, 2017 10:42 AM, "WANGARI KABIRU via kictanet" < kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Blessed Saturday! Let's get into social-democracy now in the political space! Read on... Blessings. 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". *http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2017/08/facebook_now_offers_constituent_services_what_could_go_wrong.html?wpsrc=newsletter_futuretense&sid=588c6e69a227621a258b46be <http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2017/08/facebook_now_…>* A Civics Lesson for Facebook <http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2017/08/facebook_now_…> Why there’s reason to be wary of the social network’s new democratic-minded tools. As CEO Mark Zuckerberg laid out in a sizable manifesto <https://www.facebook.com/notes/mark-zuckerberg/building-global-community/10…> earlier this year, Facebook has grand ambitions to create a platform that goes beyond just connecting family and friends. More than social media, it wants to create the social infrastructure that powers communities from niche interest groups to nations. But can tools to improve civic engagement from a clickbait-driven company really be good for democracy? As part of its new Town Hall project <https://www.facebook.com/townhall>, Facebook recently unveiled three new features <http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2017/06/09/facebook_s_three_new_fea…> aimed at linking government representatives with the citizens they’re elected to serve. The first, constituent badges, enables users to voluntarily identify themselves (via address verification) as residents of a particular district. Politicians will then be able to see these badges, allowing them to determine whether, say, a commenter on their page resides in the area they represent. The second, district targeting, will allow elected officials to create posts and polls soliciting feedback that will only be visible to their constituents. Finally, there’s constituent insights <http://thehill.com/policy/technology/336719-facebook-boosts-civic-image-wit…>, which will permit politicians to view and comment on news stories that are popular in their political districts. Whether by intention or accident, Facebook seems to be designing democracy in its own clickbait-driven image. This all sounds nice on the surface. After all, it seems like Facebook finally is beginning to acknowledge its political influence, a role it initially rejected <http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2016/11/10/mark_zuckerberg_says_fak…> in the aftermath of the 2016 election. And it’s seemingly channeling that power for public benefit by making it easier for constituents to engage with elusive politicians. Yet, there’s reason to stop short of lauding the social media network’s attempts to better our representative government. Not only is it unclear whether these tools will actually foster meaningful engagement, it’s also questionable whether private companies like Facebook—even if they’re well-meaning—should be trusted to keep democracies’ best interests at heart. Get Future Tense in your inbox. For starters, whether by intention or accident, Facebook seems to be designing democracy in its own clickbait-driven image. The Town Hall tools all revolve around attention: They encourage both politicians and users to find ways to better grab one another’s eyeballs (to use the social media term of art). But the kind of attention Facebook demands from us—incessantly chasing what’s trending, viral, getting clicks—rarely works in favor of the long-term public interest. Think of Donald Trump, obsessively monitoring his ratings and flitting to whatever message gets a rise from his base. Such messaging may get attention, but it’s not what’s best for the American people. Yet this kind of frenetic attention baiting is essential to Facebook’s business model. It’s not hard to imagine a scenario in which these new tools end up pushing politicians to primarily focus on the whims or dank memes of the day, instead of heeding to the more substantial issues. I’m also concerned about the assumptions about human behavior and demographics that Facebook appears to be making with these features. For one, the Town Hall tools assume that what people read and share on the social media platform makes for a reasonably good representation of what they want their politicians to be concerned about. But there’s little reason to believe this is true. Users often post articles that they dislike, disagree with, find hilariously stupid—I certainly do. But it’s unlikely <https://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2014/06/29/facebook-doesnt-underst…> that Facebook will be successfully categorizing these posts <https://medium.com/@baditaflorin/understanding-facebook-reactions-using-sen…> as such before they share them with politicians. Does what you read when you’re slacking off at work actually represent the big issues you’re concerned about, or is it just what happens to catch your eye at 4:30 p.m. on a Friday? Is a news story important just because it happens to be trending? What’s more, we don’t actually control what we see in our Facebook feed; Facebook does. Unlike a newspaper or magazine that shows readers stories the editorial board deems significant, Facebook’s algorithm is designed to show stories it thinks an individual user *wants *to view <http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/cover_story/2016/01/how_facebook_s…>. The website simply isn’t that motivated to get you to eat your vegetables (if vegetables are “dry foreign affairs stories with large words”). Its interests lie in keeping you scrolling endlessly through your feed. Research has shown that this filtering distorts the content that people see <https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/16/facebook-bias-bubble-us-ele…>, possibly creating damaging filter bubbles <https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/22/social-media-election-fa…> and further polarizing politics <https://www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2015/05/13/political-polarization-o…>. It also gives Facebook outsize control over what media it chooses to promote—a state of affairs that benefits the company but may not always benefit you. This distortion isn’t just coming from the company, either. As Facebook itself admitted <https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/apr/27/facebook-report-governme…>, governments and other actors have exploited the platform to spread misinformation. The company’s efforts to eradicate this issue are still at an early stage <https://www.recode.net/2017/4/14/15306220/facebook-fake-news-deleting-spam-…>, and from the limited information provided, it’s not hard to imagine these propaganda bots and digital information warriors gaming the address-verification system and pretending to be constituents. The second big assumption that the Town Hall tools idea makes is that Facebook users are reasonably representative of the actual opinions of the population. Except this isn’t a sure thing: There’s ample evidence <https://hbr.org/2013/04/the-hidden-biases-in-big-data> that privileged groups are more “visible” in big data sets (for example, people with regular internet access are more likely to be engaged in social media than those without). While 68 percent of U.S. adults use Facebook—making it the most widely used social media platform in the country <http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/social-media/>—these users are more likely to be young, low-income, and female. Bias may also impact who actually uses and engages with Facebook’s Town Hall tools. Just 9 percent of social media users say that they regularly discuss or comment on politics, and only 25 percent of social media users follow political figures <http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/10/25/political-content-on-social-media/>. Users concerned with privacy may not feel comfortable handing over sensitive information like their home address to the company (with <https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jun/16/facebook-moderators-iden…> good <http://www.reuters.com/article/net-us-facebook-security-idUSBRE95K18Y201306…> reason <http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2017/03/the_geofeedia…>), even if it means they can’t be verified as a constituent. Others may feel pressured to disclose their private information as a prerequisite for interacting with their representatives. While Facebook likely could correct for these biases, it might not want to; after all, the company directly benefits from more users and more user data. Finally, Facebook makes a third problematic assumption: that elected officials and their teams are capable of sifting out important, policy-actionable items from a constant, minimally curated stream of what their constituents are reading and posting. It’s a worldview with an exceptionally optimistic perspective on the filtering abilities of most people—let alone politicians. It’s not just the barrage of data that’s the issue, but the fact that it’s also essentially meaningless if it can’t be properly analyzed. Considering there are entire industries of highly trained professionals who spend their careers trying to do this—and still regularly get things wrong—what makes Facebook think these tools will be anything but a distraction for elected officials? Beyond thinking about how these tools might influence the responsiveness of politicians to their constituents, it’s also worth considering the motivations of the politicians themselves. During the 2016 election, for example, the Trump campaign worked to dissuade potential Clinton supporters from turning out through something called “dark posts” <https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/07/12/the-investigatio…>—in this case, targeted negative ads that were invisible to anyone but the recipient, obscuring them from public scrutiny. It remains unclear how much of a difference, if any, these posts made on the outcome. But the tactic is unlikely to go away—and may be made more powerful by leveraging the social media platform’s Town Hall tools by enabling politicians to better tailor their messaging to constituents’ particular pain points. Elected officials might also be able to gain an advantage over potential electoral challengers, as it doesn’t appear that Facebook offers similar tools to candidates yet. Has the company gamed out these unpleasant but realistic possibilities? We don’t know because Facebook isn’t transparent about its processes or about its overarching goals with these recent forays into democracy building. And it’s important to remember that it *doesn’t have to be.* It’s a publicly held company whose primary responsibility is to its shareholders. It’s not a representative government. Nor is it a public utility. Though it may be using lofty press releases and Zuckerberg’s not-so-subtle appearances at Iowa truck stops to promote a new, civic-minded image, it has no obligation to be inclusive or representative, or to do what’s best for citizens. This does not mean Facebook is evil or ill-intentioned; it simply means that Facebook can only be what it is. As Donald Trump is proving, you can’t run government like a real estate business. We shouldn’t run government like a social media company, either. *This article is part of **Future Tense* <http://www.slate.com/futuretense>*, a collaboration among **Arizona State University* <http://www.asu.edu/?feature=research>*, **New America* <http://www.newamerica.org/>*, and **Slate**. Future Tense explores the ways emerging technologies affect society, policy, and culture. To read more, **follow us on Twitter* <http://www.twitter.com/futuretensenow>* and sign **up for our weekly newsletter* <http://link.slate.com/join/3qk/newslettersignup>*.* _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/ mailman/options/kictanet/gmuthie2%40gmail.com 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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Coding Boot Camps Won’t Save Us All
by WANGARI KABIRU 12 Aug '17

12 Aug '17

We are certainly here...With "coding schools" coming up locally and some opting for them or out of higher education. For educationists and the labour market; Is accreditation, recognition really relevant? Are they a band-aid, add on professional skills versus the actual education pathway. Blessings! 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". http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2017/08/coding_boot_c… Coding Boot Camps Won’t Save Us All 456156 A couple of recent closures prove that there are no shortcuts in education. Coding boot camps were supposed to be the next big thing in higher education, promising a compressed, career-focused alternative to traditional graduate school. In the past five years, startups offering these programs have raised millions in investment and won praise from policymakers as an innovative way to prepare (or retrain) workers for the jobs of the digital future.The enchantment around the model appears to be wearing off, though. In July, Dev Bootcamp, one of the largest and earliest coding boot camp providers,announced it would close because leaders could not find a sustainable business model. Just a few days later, another pioneer in the space, the Iron Yard, said it would also shut down this year.“I haven’t talked to a ton of coal miners who have done a boot camp and become developers.”Liz Eggleston, co-founder of Course ReportDespite their high-tech subject matter and slick Silicon Valley messaging, most boot camps take a decidedly old-fashioned approach to instruction—focusing on in-person classrooms and high student-to-faculty ratios. But because they lack accreditation, their students aren’t eligible for federal financial aid. “We’ve determined that we simply cannot reach a sustainable business model without compromising our mission of delivering a high-quality coding education that remains accessible to a diverse population of students,” leaders of Dev Bootcamp said in their farewell statement. The statement from Iron Yard cited “challenges of a nascent market” and “the demands facing all institutions in the higher education marketplace.” Get Future Tense in your inbox. That doesn’t mean the rest of the boot camps are doomed. In fact, there are at least 95 other coding boot camp companies in the U.S., and some say they are still growing. But it should bring a dose of realism to what had been a narrative of unending growth and the idea that somehow boot camps were a silver bullet for what ails higher education.“The problem with education is that we keep coming back to this one-size-fits-all approach,” says Adam Enbar, CEO of Flatiron School, who insists that he’s seeing “more demand than ever” for his company’s programs. Rhetoric around coding schools has suggested that they present an easy way to teach anyone to code, regardless of background. Flatiron, he says, has crafted its main program to be highly selective, and it runs a longer program with a different curriculum for those with less familiarity with coding. “There’s no model that fits everyone,” he says. And by the same logic, he says, no one can make a blanket statement that boot camp programs as a group can’t work.“What we really see in these boot camps is a lot of career changers,” says Liz Eggleston, co-founder of Course Report, which researches and runs reviews of coding boot camps. While there’s plenty of talk these days of retraining blue-collar workers for “new collar” jobs in tech, that hasn’t been the norm at coding boot camps. “I haven’t talked to a ton of coal miners who have done a boot camp and become developers.” More typical, she says, is someone who already holds a college degree and wants to move from the marketing department of a high-tech firm to the development team.Jessica Dembe is a good example. She graduated from the Iron Yard’s D.C. campus in January, seeing it as a “high-risk, high-reward gamble” that the training would let her jump a few rungs in her career ladder. “I wasn’t making a lot of money at my old job” as a research assistant at a consulting firm, she says. “I thought, If I could make this work, I could make a good deal more in a new position.” So she saved up roughly six months’ worth of living expenses and quit her job, thanks in part to support from a parent, and enrolled in the three-month program, which cost her about $12,000 after a diversity scholarship and a discount.She says she did her homework before plunking down that kind of cash. “At first I was really skeptical about it,” she says of the boot camp idea. For a few months she tried teaching herself with free online resources, and she even attended a hackathon for people trying to learn coding, but felt she wasn’t getting what she needed. A mentor at work had completed the Iron Yard program and recommended it, and she sought out other graduates to see if it had helped them land the kind of job she wanted. “I don’t make rash decisions,” she jokes.Dembe was “shocked” to learn the school was now closing, but she’s happy she went—after all, she found a job six weeks after graduation. If the boot camp business was so precarious, though, she wonders why the schools often occupy pricey real estate: The campus she attended was just a few blocks from the White House, for instance.When making their pitch to students, coding boot camps don’t usually talk about amenities. They often stress one number: job placement rates. Several boot camp companies have joined efforts to independently verify the percentage of students who get jobs in the field soon after graduating, such as the Council on Integrity in Results Reporting, formed by a group of boot camps, and a broader quality-control framework proposed by Entangled Solutions, a consulting firm.Neither Dev Bootcamp nor the Iron Yard joined such efforts, as their competitor Flatiron School is quick to point out. “They just weren’t releasing transparent data,” says Enbar. The Flatiron CEO isn’t part of the CIRR or Entangled framework, either, but says the company releases independently verified employment rates. “The line is being drawn around quality,” he says.Another giant in the space, General Assembly, believes success will come down to the strength of providers’ relationships with employers to create a reliable pipeline to employment. “Our vision was never, ‘Let’s build a boot camp,’ ” says Jake Schwartz, co-founder and CEO of General Assembly. “The idea was: Can we build a new way to think about people’s careers and how to build people’s careers?”Some evidence suggests that many employers aren’t yet convinced of the educational merits of coding boot camps. A report in Bloomberg in December even suggests a boot camp diploma could be seen as disqualifying.Back when Dev Bootcamp was flying high, one of its co-founders, Dave Hoover, gave an interview to a networking site for entrepreneurs that inadvertently betrayed a dirty little secret of the coding boot camp model. He said the most valuable thing a mentor gave him at a startup he worked for: You don’t need to know everything. What you need to do is be the guy who knows how to find the answer. That was eye-opening because it made me realize, especially as a software developer, you don’t have to know everything, but thanks to Google and search technology and all the online resources we have, the answers are just a few seconds away. Some academic critics of boot camps argue that the companies represent a shift to requiring workers to pay more of the bill for their own training, and one that falls disproportionately on low-income or underrepresented groups. Tressie McMillan Cottom, an assistant professor of sociology at Virginia Commonwealth University and author of Lower Ed: The Troubling Rise of For-Profit Colleges in the New Economy, recently made that argument on her blog: “Boot camps are a tax paid by suitably credentialed workers who do not have enough capital (economic, social, or cultural) to enter a high status field of work in which some job is undergoing an actual or projected short-term demand bubble,” she wrote.Boot camp leaders often take pains to distance themselves from an earlier generation of for-profit education providers like Corinthian Colleges, which shuttered after a federal investigation found that the company misrepresented to students the percentage of graduates who landed jobs. But legacy for-profit players had pushed into the nascent boot camp space: In fact, Dev Bootcamp was acquired by Kaplan in 2015, and the Iron Yard had been purchased that same year by Apollo Education Group—which also owns University of Phoenix. (Disclosure: Slate is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Co., which also owns Kaplan and is an investor in EdSurge.)Top CommentCouldn't community colleges offer the same type of immersive short term course, but far cheaper and with accreditation? I would think if this were possible they'd be all over it. What am I missing? More... The lasting legacy of education boot camps may end up being found on traditional campuses. Several colleges are trying the boot camp approach, even in other fields like health care and political science. In fact, many upstart coding schools are now partnering with those old-fashioned campuses they were intent on replacing.Future Tense is a collaboration amongArizona State University, New America, and Slate. Future Tense explores the ways emerging technologies affect society, policy, and culture. To read more, follow us on Twitter and sign up for our weekly newsletter.

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