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Should a Technology be regulated? - The current state of blockchain regulation
by Ali Hussein 09 May '17

09 May '17

Dear Listers BlockChain Technology is in its infancy the world over. From the US to China to Europe, countries and players haven't really figured out how to play this ground breaking Technology when it comes to regulation. It doesn't help that the Technology is marred by the criminal elements that use Bitcoin to launder money and generally use it to hide from law enforcement agencies. For example Kidnappers and Denial of Service Hackers insist on being paid by Bitcoins because of its potential anonymity. However, criminals since time immemorial have always conducted their activities using mainstream financial engineering methods and tools to hide their ill gotten wealth. Should we confine a Technology that has the biggest potential to positively impact the world in a way not seen since the advent of the internet to criminality because it is being used by criminal elements? Or should we harness its great potential while mitigating its darker side? Many of us know that the Internet has a darker side - The dark web, where activities like Mass Identity Theft, Child Pornography and DDoS Ransoms routinely happen. This hasn't stopped it becoming mainstream and being unequivocally a force for good. http://weartv.com/news/local/dark-web-542017 So why then is the conversation around Bitcoins, other cryptocurrencies and the Technology that makes them possible so marred in controversy? The article below and a research linked therein seeks to answer some of these questions. https://t.co/ZV903HSohf However, even as we read global stories on BlockChain we must chart our own path. This will take players from diverse backgrounds and motivations to pull together to ensure we are not left behind and we harness the full potential of BlockChain Technologies to advance ourselves. 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

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Do we need a legal framework for online dispute resolution in Kenya?
by Alvin Gachie 09 May '17

09 May '17

Dear Colleagues, In 2016, I approached some of you on this list to participate in my study on the 'Legal Framework for Online Dispute Resolution in Kenya.' You agreed, and indeed your participation was essential to the successful conclusion of my Masters' Thesis, titled 'An Evaluation of the Need for Regulation of Online Dsipute Resolution (ODR) in Kenya' in December 2016, now available online! Please click on this link or copy and paste the link in your browser to access the *abstract*: http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/98426 Please click on this link or copy and paste the link in your browser to access the *full thesis*: http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/bitstream/handle/11295/98426/Gachie_An%20Eva… I am also pleased to let you know that a paper I prepared, based on my research, was published in the Alternative Dispute Resolution Journal by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Kenya Branch) in its January 2017 issue! The full citation for this text is: Alvin Gachie, ‘Do we need to regulate online dispute resolution in Kenya?’ 5 Alternative Dispute Resolution Journal 1 (Chartered Institute of Arbitrators – Kenya Branch 2017) 189. Please click on this link or copy and paste the link in your browser to access the full text of the *journal*: http://www.ciarbkenya.org/assets/volume-5-issue--one--dummy.pdf I have attached a Pdf version of the journal article, for your reference and use. Once again, thank you very much for offering your insight on the interaction between technology, law and dispute resolution, without which putting together this research project would have been impossible. Feel free to share this email and the attachment with your networks, and contacts who you feel would be interested in discussing this subject. I would be happy to discuss further opportunities to engage in this area, or other areas you may recommend. I look forward to hearing from you. Regards, Alvin Gachie gachiea(a)gmail.com Tel: +254 720 803 535

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Internet Economy: African Regional Internet and Development Dialogue (RIDD 2017)
by WANGARI KABIRU 09 May '17

09 May '17

https://livestream.com/internetsociety/riddafrica2017/ African Regional Internet and Development ... Science & Technology / Other Science & Technology More event details ...Mon, May 8 2017 10:00 AM — Tue, May 9 2017 6:00 PM Today's discussions on the Internet Economy in Africa. Catch up with Alice Munyua on the Chair, Michuki Mwangi on and ISOC KE President Martin Obuya. Valuable insights shared. I am keen on the transition of Internet Development into Internet Sector and now a Real Internet Economy - where rubber meets the road for the Internet to add real value to small businesses (quality life, social, financial, efficiency, competitiveness etc) into peoples livelihoods for national development. Be blessed. 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".

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Reminder: Policy Brief - Mobile Data Plans in Kenya
by Berhan Taye Gemeda 09 May '17

09 May '17

Dear Listers, This is to kindly remind you to comment on the policy brief that examines which mobile data plans people use in Kenya drafted by the Alliance for Affordable Internet <http://a4ai.org/>. The full draft of the policy brief is also linked at the end of the summary. Our results indicate that there are a few significant policy implications. We kindly ask you to review the policy brief linked below and leave your comments and suggestions and/or send comments directly to me @ berhan.taye(a)webfoundation.org by *12 May 2017*. We are grateful for any comment and feedback you may be able to provide. --- *Mobile Data Plans in Kenya * In this policy brief, we explore the level of Internet access Kenyan women and men have via their mobile phones. Using a quota sampling approach, we administered a set of mobile phone-based surveys to 500 female and 500 male Kenyans that use the Internet on their cell phones.[1] We classify mobile data bundles offered by Safaricom, Airtel Kenya, and Orange Kenya as full-cost, service specific, and zero-rated data packages.[2] Our result indicates that *women, in general, are more likely to use full-cost data bundles and pay the full advertised amount for their data than men *(when controlling for age, education, employment, and other factors) - 74% of Kenyan women use full-cost plans, while only 67% of men use the same package. However, *even though women prefer to pay for the advertised price of a data plan, they buy the smallest data bundles when compared to men*.[3] For instance, 35% of women buy 150MB of data, spending less than 199Ksh weekly, while only 24.7% of men resort to the cheapest data bundles. Women also tend to buy 350MB and 1024MB more frequently.[4] However, men categorically buy data bundles that are larger than 1GB when compared to women. This finding is a significant indicator of the limited spending power of Kenyan women and their ability to purchase mobile data packages and connect to the digital world. Moreover, we also find that the reverse is true for service-specific and zero-rated data plans: *more men prefer to use service-specific and zero-rated services than women.*[5] 15% and 2.8% of men use service-specific and zero-rated data bundles while only 4.4% and 1% of women use these bundles, respectively. This result indicates that men are more likely to use cheaper and subsidized data packages that offer access to a few websites and apps. This is possibly because in some cases (e.g., sports tv data bundles) the services appeal more to men. In sum, we postulate that these findings have a few policy implications: first, our analysis raises questions about why there should be different patterns in mobile data consumption between men and women. To better understand this it is essential that the Communications Authority of Kenya mandates operators and its institutions to gender disaggregate the data they publish. Second, seeing that women can only afford to buy the smallest data bundles, it is essential that we pursue policy and regulatory reform to lower industry cost structures which can help improve affordability for all. Lastly, to the extent where service-specific and zero-rated programs are allowed under the Kenyan laws and related net neutrality principles, the content of service-specific and zero-rated programs should better target the needs of both women and men. For more details, please refer to the draft full policy brief here <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C_wAlfHwgoaIURrp3DR_oBs3sd0FKRsxSeWn_MJ…> . ------------------------------ [1] We used mobile phone Internet users as our primary focus because 99% of Internet subscriptions are via mobile phones in Kenya <http://www.ca.go.ke/images/downloads/PUBLICATIONS/ANNUALREPORTS/Annual%20Re…>. Surveys were carried out between January-March 2016. [2] Full-cost data bundle customers pay the full advertised amount for a data bundle and can access the entire content of the web; Service specific subscribers pay a cheaper or subsidized price and access very limited websites and apps like Facebook and Whatsapp; Zero-rated data plans are free, and the content is limited to zero-rated websites like Wikipedia and Facebook Zero. [3] The data bundles offered by the MNOs range from 150MB to 6144MB and cost between 199Ksh and 1000Ksh. [4] Data bundles that women buy more than men are all data packages provided by Safaricom. [5] When holding age, education, employment, and other factors at a constant, this finding still holds true. *--* *Berhan Taye * Ford-Mozilla Open Web Fellow +1 347 445 1968 @btayeg <http://twitter.com/btayeg> Subalterntones.wordpress.com <http://subalterntones.wordpress.com/>

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Can Facebook fix its own bug? and what lessons for Kenya Elections 2017?
by Ali Hussein 08 May '17

08 May '17

Listers There's no doubt that Facebook has become THE News Platform that humanity relies on. The numbers are staggering. Nearly 2 billion people use Facebook every month and 1.2 billion daily. It has become a mirror of our lives. In more ways than we can imagine. In 2016 however, Facebook's huge influence in our lives became its biggest liability - During the U.S. election, propagandists — some working for money, others for potentially state-sponsored lulz — used the service to turn fake stories into viral sensations, like the one about Pope Francis’ endorsing Trump (he hadn’t <http://www.factcheck.org/2016/10/did-the-pope-endorse-trump/>). And fake news was only part of a larger conundrum. With its huge reach, Facebook has begun to act as the great disseminator of the larger cloud of misinformation and half-truths swirling about the rest of media. It sucks up lies from cable news and Twitter, *then precisely targets each lie to the partisan bubble most receptive to it.* Locally we are seeing similar versions of the problems of the US Election being enacted. The most visible one was during the months long doctors' strike where pro and against teams were using not only Facebook but twitter and Whatsapp to spread truths, half-truths and outright lies. Should Facebook be held responsible for 'fact-checking' (which by the way they have already instituted certain measures to do this) and hire editors to 'police' what people post? Or is this a reflection of how society is and has nothing to do with Facebook or Social Media at large. The only problem with this is that Pre-Social Media lies and fake news usually were confined to certain social groups, parties, families etc. Today, you can be an instant famous or infamous person by a click of the button. What can we do in Kenya and Africa in general to ensure this doesn't adversely affect our socio and cultural foundations? Read on:- https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/25/magazine/can-facebook-fix-its-own-worst-… *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.

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The Data that turned the world upside down...
by Ngigi Waithaka 08 May '17

08 May '17

Listers, The other side of big firms is big data... https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/how-our-likes-helped-trump-win This is the world we live in.... The excerpt below from the article above helps to put things into perspective... *In 2012, Kosinski proved that on the basis of an average of 68 Facebook "likes" by a user, it was possible to predict their skin color (with 95 percent accuracy), their sexual orientation (88 percent accuracy), and their affiliation to the Democratic or Republican party (85 percent). But it didn't stop there. Intelligence, religious affiliation, as well as alcohol, cigarette and drug use, could all be determined. From the data it was even possible to deduce whether someone's parents were divorced.* *Seventy "likes" were enough to outdo what a person's friends knew, 150 what their parents knew, and 300 "likes" what their partner knew.* And guess which other country is a reference for Big Data in politics by the same firm running Trumps Big Data? https://sclgroup.cc/elections/projects/kenya/ -- *Regards,* *Wait**haka Ngigi* Chief Executive Officer | Alliance Technologies | MCK Nairobi Synod Building T +254 20 525 0750 |Office Mobile: +254 716 201061 | M +254 737 811 000 www.at.co.ke

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Facebook to hire 3, 000 moderators to stop suicides, crimes from being streamed - Business Insider
by Ali Hussein 08 May '17

08 May '17

CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Wednesday that Facebook plans to hire 3,000 more content moderators to keep crimes, suicides, and other violent acts from being shared on the social network. Read on:- http://ow.ly/YpCD30bp9Dd 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

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Kenyans set to enjoy cross-network mobile money transfer from July - Business Daily
by Ali Hussein 07 May '17

07 May '17

Kenyans could in the next three months send and receive money across the different telecommunication networks following an agreement to implement interoperability among the service providers. Read on:- http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/Kenyans-enjoy-crossnetwork-mob… 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

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Re: [kictanet] Regulating the internet giants- The world’s most valuable resource is data.
by Rosemary Koech-Kimwatu 07 May '17

07 May '17

Hello listers, The article below features an emerging school of thought in regards to regulating tech giants, previously viewed as 'untouchables', from an anti-trust point of view. http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21721656-data-economy-demands-new-app… Kind regards Rosemary Koech-Kimwatu Lawyer -FinTech and ICT Policy On May 3, 2017 9:36 PM, "Ahmed Mohamed Maawy via kictanet" < kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > Thank you Wangari, > > But you and I both know that the New York times can not one day wake up > and decide to become a social network. We need to respect businesses for > what they want to become not what they are meant to become. > > Ahmed > > On Wed, May 3, 2017 at 12:15 PM, WANGARI KABIRU via kictanet < > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > >> Blessed Wednesday! >> >> I am compelled to imagine my village chief running after every mad man , >> or sending troops after each of us presumably relatively sane ones as we >> have our private gatherings and share our opinions with family and friends. >> >> However, where the line is drawn in the instance of the Facebooks and >> other media touted as "social" and "not editorial news media" is when it >> appears (real or imagined) that they propagate certain kind of views to go >> viral. This was the wholabaloo and yes for the Kenyan elections(or >> anywhere) it should be cause for concern. >> >> Do the Facebooks have the ability and capacity to do this? I suspect we >> may perhaps need to ask the algorithms used. >> >> There is no bargaining, digital consumer education is a must must to be >> enhanced and it is not to be left just to the private sector who creates >> the solutions. >> >> Secondly, with the digital developments, in the real police, there must >> be a new kind of "digital police service", which perhaps should be an >> algorithm. >> >> >> Have a blessed day. >> >> 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 Wednesday, 3 May 2017, 11:24, Ahmed Mohamed Maawy via kictanet < >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: >> >> >> The buck here does not only end with Facebook. >> >> This discussion is very similar to the Privacy Policy discussion. For >> instance, we can enact Privacy Policy on Software and Services but does it >> help that much if the consumer is not aware what a Privacy Policy is and >> what its meant to be all about? >> >> Facebook can add to the situation by making it easier to spot fake news. >> But then, we will argue that: >> >> 1. This will suppress freedom of expression. >> 2. Will beat the purpose or need to have Facebook become a "social >> platform" instead of a "news platform". >> >> This is why you can report a post as well as have facebook flag a news >> item, but Facebook is not in a position to block it, unless there is >> significant action on the side of the consumer for it to be done so. To >> block it from the source is equal to *censorship*. >> >> There should be more of a drive to have consumers aware of what fake news >> is, how to spot it, and how to report it, and how to get awareness out >> there on what the truth is. >> >> On Wed, May 3, 2017 at 6:55 AM, Ali Hussein via kictanet < >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: >> >> Listers >> >> There's no doubt that Facebook has become THE News Platform that humanity >> relies on. The numbers are staggering. Nearly 2 billion people use Facebook >> every month and 1.2 billion daily. It has become a mirror of our lives. In >> more ways than we can imagine. >> >> In 2016 however, Facebook's huge influence in our lives became its >> biggest liability - During the U.S. election, propagandists — some >> working for money, others for potentially state-sponsored lulz — used the >> service to turn fake stories into viral sensations, like the one about Pope >> Francis’ endorsing Trump (he hadn’t >> <http://www.factcheck.org/2016/10/did-the-pope-endorse-trump/>). And >> fake news was only part of a larger conundrum. With its huge reach, >> Facebook has begun to act as the great disseminator of the larger cloud of >> misinformation and half-truths swirling about the rest of media. It sucks >> up lies from cable news and Twitter, *then precisely targets each lie to >> the partisan bubble most receptive to it.* >> >> Locally we are seeing similar versions of the problems of the US Election >> being enacted. The most visible one was during the months long doctors' >> strike where pro and against teams were using not only Facebook but twitter >> and Whatsapp to spread truths, half-truths and outright lies. >> >> Should Facebook be held responsible for 'fact-checking' (which by the way >> they have already instituted certain measures to do this) and hire editors >> to 'police' what people post? Or is this a reflection of how society is and >> has nothing to do with Facebook or Social Media at large. The only problem >> with this is that Pre-Social Media lies and fake news usually were confined >> to certain social groups, parties, families etc. Today, you can be an >> instant famous or infamous person by a click of the button. >> >> What can we do in Kenya and Africa in general to ensure this doesn't >> adversely affect our socio and cultural foundations? >> >> Read on:- >> >> https://www.nytimes.com/2017/ 04/25/magazine/can-facebook- >> fix-its-own-worst-bug.html?_r= 0 >> <https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/25/magazine/can-facebook-fix-its-own-worst-…> >> >> *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> >> <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. >> >> ______________________________ _________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/ mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> <https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet> >> Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet >> Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ KICTANet/ >> <https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/> >> >> Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/ >> mailman/options/kictanet/ ultimateprogramer%40gmail.com >> <https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ultimateprogramer%40g…> >> >> 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. >> >> >> >> >> -- >> *Ahmed Maawy* >> Principal Product Management Specialist - Al Jazeera Media Network >> Skype: ultimateprogramer >> _______________________________________________ >> 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/m >> ailman/options/kictanet/wangarikabiru%40yahoo.co.uk >> >> 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(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/m >> ailman/options/kictanet/ultimateprogramer%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. >> > > > > -- > *Ahmed Maawy* > Principal Product Management Specialist - Al Jazeera Media Network > Skype: ultimateprogramer > > _______________________________________________ > 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/chemukoechk%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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Consorting With The Frenemy: Ad Tech Players Partner For Shared Identity Matching | AdExchanger
by Ali Hussein 07 May '17

07 May '17

Listers As a result of perceived dominance by Facebook and Google in the digital advertising space some players are already working in consortium to counter this. And it’s a shot across the bow of Facebook and Google, which suck in a majority of digital ad dollars. “The big giants have had an advantage over the open internet in that they have their own deterministic identities for users that allows more precise targeting and cross-device matching,” said AppNexus product VP Patrick McCarthy. Read on:- https://adexchanger.com/online-advertising/consorting-frenemy-ad-tech-playe… 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

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