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What regulatory interventions exist to guard the consumer against service unavailability in the ICT sector?
by Nicholas Kisundu 01 Dec '22

01 Dec '22

Discussions around closing the digital (gender, PLWD, rural-urban) divide have been my daily uptake in the recent past, looking at how to bring everyone to the digital space. While we push to get the unconnected to be connected, a good percentage of those that are already connected are suffering from unreliable internet services offered by some ISPs in the market. The argument around this issue is that home/office internet subscriptions are time-based. The subscriber pays for access to the internet for a month, for example. A certain amount of money is prescribed, depending on the bandwidth one subscribes for. Along the way, the customer is faced with countless downtimes, which go uncompensated. In essence, the customer paid for service not delivered. I have had my fair share of this menace, and when I asked my ISP, the response was that if the service remains unavailable for more than 24 hours, then I should file a case with them for a refund. The point is, I may not get a complete cycle of 24 hrs downtime, but I may have 10 hrs today, 16 hours next week, and even 20 hours another week. Cumulatively, I could lose almost 3 days in a month, but I cannot get compensated since no one instance lasted for 24 hrs. Even with this provision from the ISP, the customer is highly disadvantaged, and mostly uninformed that there is such a provision. With the recent increase in remote working, these downtimes would cost one so much, especially those working from home, and upon such occurrences, they are required to procure the mobile data bundles that are usually expensive compared to fixed wireless services (that expense is on top of the monthly subscription). Are there regulatory measures in place to ensure that the customer gets exactly what they have paid for, or is it a case of a free market where the customer is at will to dump one ISP for another in such instances? If yes, do we then need the regulator to also enlighten the consumer of the existence of such regulations that protect them, and how they can best utilize them to ensure that they get value for their money? Most customers have no idea that there is anything they can do about it, other than picking a different ISP as a punishment for the non-performing one. While competition could be seen as a way to ensure ISPs provide quality and reliable services, some areas have only one ISP, operating as a monopoly, and the issue of competition doe not apply. As we champion digital inclusion, we must ensure that we have meaningful connectivity, which means, good quality and reliability of the services offered. Regards, Kisundu Nicholas N, Digital Inclusion| ICT Policy, +254712770655 LinkedIn Profile <https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-kisundu-28933482/>

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MPs open probe on data expiry, Safaricom Bonga points
by Victor Kapiyo 01 Dec '22

01 Dec '22

Parliament will probe telecommunications firms for imposing expiry dates on data bundles, airtime and loyalty programmes such as Safaricom’s Bonga Points, setting the stage for a fresh battle between the lawmakers and the operators. The National Assembly’s committee on Communications, Information and Innovation says it will also inquire into the widespread Internet speed throttling practice by internet service providers (ISPs). *Read more: * https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/economy/mps-open-probe-on-data-expir… *Victor Kapiyo* Partner | *Lawmark Partners LLP* *Suite No. 8, Centro House, Westlands, Nairobi | **Web: www.lawmark.co.ke <http://www.lawmark.co.ke> * ==================================================== *“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude” Zig Ziglar*

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Set A Reminder to Join Us to Our #KICTANetSpaces
by David Indeje 29 Nov '22

29 Nov '22

Dear Listers, [image: image.png] Our *#KICTANetSpaces* will be held on December 3, 2000 at 8-9pm EAT to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) 2022. The theme of this year is "Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world." The day was proclaimed in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3. The day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights, and well-being of persons with disabilities. This year, the theme has been broken down into three: 1. Innovation for disability-inclusive development in employment - SDG 8 2. Innovation for disability-inclusive development in reducing inequality - SDG 10 3. Innovation for disability-inclusive growth: sport as an exemplar case. To join, you need to have a Twitter handle which will enable you to set a reminder using this link to the spaces. https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1jMJgLDNDXbxL?s=20 We look forward to interacting with you all. -- *Kind Regards,* *David Indeje* *KICTANet Communications *_____________________________________ +254 (0) 711 385 945 | +254 (0) 734 024 856 KICTANet portals KICTANet.or.ke <https://kictanet.or.ke/> | Twitter <https://twitter.com/kictanet> | LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/company/18428106/admin/> | Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/>

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KENYA: Data Protection, Three Years Later
by David Indeje 29 Nov '22

29 Nov '22

Dear Listers, Mr John Walubengo is reminding us that it has been three years since the Kenyan Data Protection Act was enacted in November 2019 and two years since the first Data Commissioner was appointed and sworn into the Office of the Data Protection Commission. He goes further to look at the good, the bad, and the ugly side of data protection practices in Kenya. Worth reading. https://bit.ly/3U1uikT -- *Kind Regards,* *David Indeje* *KICTANet Communications *_____________________________________ +254 (0) 711 385 945 | +254 (0) 734 024 856 KICTANet portals KICTANet.or.ke <https://kictanet.or.ke/> | Twitter <https://twitter.com/kictanet> | LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/company/18428106/admin/> | Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/>

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Re: [kictanet] RSVP to Paradigm Initiative's Movie Premiere and Dinner during IGF in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
by Judith Ogutu 28 Nov '22

28 Nov '22

Greetings from Paradigm Initiative, As a follow-up to our earlier invitation, we have an update for those who will be joining us for our exclusive movie premiere and dinner on *Wednesday*, *November 30th, 2022,* at *Radisson Blu Hotel* in *Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. *The movie will be screened on the sidelines of this year's Internet Governance Forum (#IGF2022) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. To start us off in our evening session, we have lined up activities which include a meet and greet, brief remarks, the movie screening, a moderated panel discussion, photo sessions, dinner, and networking. To those who are yet to respond to our invitation, kindly register availability with us. Below is an RSVP link: 👉 *https://bit.ly/ShortFIlmRSVP <https://bit.ly/ShortFIlmRSVP> * Kind Regards Judith Ogutu Communications Manager [image: Logo] <https://paradigmhq.org/> Paradigm Initiative Ambank House, 12th Floor 00100, Nairobi t: +254721259193 m: +254721259193 e: judith.ogutu(a)paradigmhq.org wwww.paradigmhq.org [image: Facebook icon] <https://web.facebook.com/ParadigmHQ> [image: LinkedIn icon] <https://ng.linkedin.com/company/paradigmhq> [image: Twitter icon] <https://twitter.com/ParadigmHQ> [image: Youtube icon] <https://www.youtube.com/paradigmhq> [image: Instagram icon] <https://www.instagram.com/paradigmhq> [image: Banner] <https://bit.ly/ShortFIlmRSVP> This email is confidential and intended for the recipient(s) specified in the message only. It is strictly forbidden to share any part of this message with any third party without the written consent of the sender. If you have received this message in error, please delete it immediately

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Register now - UNESCO Global Conference "Internet for Trust": Regulating Digital Platforms for Information as a Public Good. 21-23 February 2023
by Gachungi, Lydia 26 Nov '22

26 Nov '22

From: Internet Conference <internetconference(a)unesco.org> Sent: 25 November 2022 21:12 Subject: Register now - UNESCO Conference "Internet for Trust" 21-23 February 2023 You can now register to the upcoming UNESCO Global Conference "Internet for Trust": Regulating Digital Platforms for Information as a Public Good. The conference will take place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris from 21 to 23 February 2023. [https://mcusercontent.com/72ebfe189bdcd1c4b7aedc782/images/305805bc-b715-65…] Registration is now open Click here to register<https://www.unesco.org/en/internet-conference?hub=71542> Together we will shape an internet for trust. Governments, regulators, digital content platforms, civil society, legal actors and intergovernmental organizations will come together in this global effort to protect information as a public good. The conference will serve as a forum for debate of a model regulatory framework for digital platforms that can act against the spread of harmful content online, while also protecting freedom of expression and other human rights. Visit our website<http://www.unesco.org/en/internet-conference> for more information on the programme and the model regulatory framework. Come and join us. Seats will fill up fast! Click here to register<https://www.unesco.org/en/internet-conference?hub=71542> Get inspired to build an internet for trust "Without facts, you can't have truth. Without truth, you can't have trust. Without trust, we have no shared reality, no democracy, and it becomes impossible to deal with our world's existential problems." - Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize winner, UNESCO/Guillermo Cano Press Freedom Prize Laureate Share on social media [https://mcusercontent.com/72ebfe189bdcd1c4b7aedc782/images/94e593d6-45eb-e2…] Come and join us in making the internet a space of peace and trust. Registrations for @UNESCO's conference to regulate digital platforms is now open 21-23 February 2023 on.unesco.org/3OzyWFI What UNESCO does to protect freedom of expression online Check our publications and find out more about UNESCO's work to combat disinformation, hate speech and other harmful content spread online. Visit the website<https://www.unesco.org/en/communication-information/freedom-expression-onli…>. Related publications [https://mcusercontent.com/72ebfe189bdcd1c4b7aedc782/images/8b616211-bf31-ba…] Journalism is a public good: world trends in freedom of expression and media development: global report 2021/2022 Available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Chinese and Portuguese. Visit<https://www.unesco.org/en/world-media-trends> [https://mcusercontent.com/72ebfe189bdcd1c4b7aedc782/images/80ca1db7-3ea0-af…] Letting the sun shine in: transparency and accountability in the digital age Available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Chinese and Portuguese. Read<https://www.unesco.org/en/world-media-trends> [https://mcusercontent.com/72ebfe189bdcd1c4b7aedc782/images/7b0e4742-edb0-03…] Balancing act: countering digital disinformation while respecting freedom of expression: Broadband Commission research report on 'Freedom of Expression and Addressing Disinformation on the Internet' Available in English Read<https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000379015_eng> [https://mcusercontent.com/72ebfe189bdcd1c4b7aedc782/images/ea478871-db6e-84…] Elections in digital times: a guide for electoral practitioners Available in English Read<https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000382102> [https://mcusercontent.com/72ebfe189bdcd1c4b7aedc782/images/0b8a311c-0629-c5…] Social media and elections Available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian. Read<https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000370634_eng> For more information and to receive (or unsubscribe to) updates about the conference, contact: internetconference(a)unesco.org<mailto:internetconference@unesco.org>

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Data, Loyalty Points Expiry Date at crossroads with Parliament
by David Indeje 25 Nov '22

25 Nov '22

Listers, Early this week, we learnt that your loyalty points from Safaricom will have an expiry date begining Jan 2023. This week: Parliament will probe telecommunications firms for imposing expiry dates on data bundles, airtime and loyalty programmes such as Safaricom’s Bonga Points, setting the stage for a fresh battle between the lawmakers and the operators. https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/economy/mps-open-probe-on-data-expir…

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#IkoKazi at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard
by June Okal 22 Nov '22

22 Nov '22

Hi everyone, sharing some open roles at the Berkman Klein Center <https://cyber.harvard.edu/>that may be of interest for the KICTANet community - BKC’s 2023-2024 open call for fellows <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__brk.mn_2324opencall&d=…> and the Institute for Rebooting Social Media’s 2023-2024 call for Visiting Scholars <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__rebootingsocialmedia.o…> . *Berkman Klein 2023-2024 Fellows* For: Scholars and practitioners of any discipline whose research advances Internet & society studies in the public interest This opportunity is for scholars, practitioners, innovators, engineers, artists, and others who wish to spend 2023-2024 in residence in Cambridge, MA, as part of the Center's vibrant community of research and practice, and who seek to engage in collaborative, cross-disciplinary, and cross-sectoral exploration of the Internet's most important issues. Applications for Berkman Klein fellowships will be accepted until January 9, 2023, at 11:59pm Eastern Time. Learn more <https://cyber.harvard.edu/getinvolved/fellowships/2324Fellows> and APPLY <https://cyber.harvard.edu/getinvolved/fellowships/apptracker-instruction-pa…> to be a Berkman Fellow for the 2023-2024 academic year! *** *Institute for Rebooting Social Media 2023-2024 Visiting Scholars* For: Current faculty members investigating the harms and opportunities of networked communication and social media Berkman Klein’s Institute for Rebooting Social Media is accepting applications from outstanding faculty members committed to improving the current state of social media for its 2023-2024 cohort of Visiting Scholars. This interdisciplinary cohort of roughly eight members will produce original research while engaging with RSM faculty, staff, scholars, fellows, students, and the broader Berkman Klein Center (BKC) and Harvard University communities. Applications for RSM Visiting Scholars will be accepted until December 9, 2022, at 11:59pm Eastern Time. Learn more <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__rebootingsocialmedia.o…> about the RSM Visiting Scholars Program, and APPLY <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__brk.mn_2324visitingsch…> or NOMINATE A SCHOLAR <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__brk.mn_2324visitingsch…> today! Happy to share any thoughts, experiences, insights and answer any questions for prospective applicants if helpful. *June Okal* Employee Fellow <https://rebootingsocialmedia.org/person/june-okal/>, Rebooting Social Media <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__rebootingsocialmedia.o…> Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University <https://cyber.harvard.edu/> website <http://www.juneokal.com/> | twitter <https://twitter.com/JuneOkal> | linkedin <https://www.linkedin.com/in/juneokal/>

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Twitter and the Problem of the For-Profit Public Square
by Adam Lane 16 Nov '22

16 Nov '22

Forwarding this very interesting article with some useful links for those who might be interested. View this email in your browser<https://mailchi.mp/rankingdigitalrights/the-privacy-battle-heats-up-1373948…> [https://mcusercontent.com/ed7830a631cca231c4f51ceb2/images/8e503dc3-ba88-d9…]<https://rankingdigitalrights.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ed7830a631c…> October, 2022 [https://mcusercontent.com/ed7830a631cca231c4f51ceb2/images/0ec29ad4-335c-68…] Musk's Twitter Takeover: Why the Public Square Can't Rely on Surveillance Ads It’s been less than one month since Twitter officially became the plaything of billionaire Elon Musk. In that time, the company that topped our 2022 Scorecard has gone a long way toward unraveling much of the work that recently earned it our top spot. In other words, Musk has already proven our worst fears about his management of the platform. A decade ago, many in the top echelons of Twitter saw the platform as the “free speech wing of the free speech party<https://rankingdigitalrights.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ed7830a631c…>.” Yet, since then, the company made a concerted effort to improve both its enforcement of rules and its transparency. A lot of this seems out the window<https://rankingdigitalrights.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ed7830a631c…> now. For one, Musk has gotten rid of the entire human rights team and other experts on international human rights standards. Twitter, like other platforms, had in place<https://rankingdigitalrights.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ed7830a631c…> a practice of pushing back against calls for violence from government actors and their attempts to block content. Twitter’s ability to do both these things is severely curtailed. Musk also introduced an $8 fee for "verification" that many worried<https://rankingdigitalrights.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ed7830a631c…> could imperil the work of journalists and activists. This new feature was paused<https://rankingdigitalrights.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ed7830a631c…> on Friday after an immediate proliferation of impersonations of high-profile accounts. On the platform in question, RDR’s Jan Rydzak has a must-read thread<https://rankingdigitalrights.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ed7830a631c…> on these and other ways Musk is already turning Twitter into a paragon of “pay-for-play anarchy.” Is a boycott from advertisers, Twitter’s real customers, now the only way to hold the “Chief Twit” accountable for respecting democracy and human rights? This is the question RDR’s Policy Director Nathalie Maréchal asks in a piece<https://rankingdigitalrights.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ed7830a631c…> for our home institution, New America. Unfortunately, that may just be the case. That’s why RDR has joined more than 60 other civil society groups in calling on Twitter advertisers to demand that Musk #StopToxicTwitter<https://rankingdigitalrights.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ed7830a631c…>. But if advertisers have that kind of power, that’s only because the system is rotten. At the heart of the problem, Nathalie points out, is that a profit-seeking entity dependent on advertising revenues can never be a truly democratic digital public square. This is true whether or not Musk decides to run Twitter with profit in mind, or by enacting his own murky concept of “freedom,” in other words his own personal whims. (We’ve already seen<https://rankingdigitalrights.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ed7830a631c…> that parodies of Musk seemingly aren’t protected by his version of the First Amendment.) Social media companies are thus “trying to square an impossible circle”: provide what billions of people have come to see as an essential public service while delivering returns to shareholders. And taking Twitter private won’t free the company of this issue: Repaying the banks who underwrote the sale could cost<https://rankingdigitalrights.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ed7830a631c…> up to $1 billion a year, The New York Times has reported. As Nathalie explains, and as RDR has pointed out<https://rankingdigitalrights.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ed7830a631c…> time and time again, any business that relies on pervasive and sustained human rights violations will only foster more abuse. And this is very much the case with surveillance advertising. Algorithms optimized to make sure users click as much as possible, to see as many ads as possible, necessarily lead to a major decline in the quality of our information. Yet, moderating content at scale in a responsible way is extraordinarily expensive, and the money has to come from somewhere. For this reason, RDR will be watching with a close eye the seeming mass migration from Twitter to Mastodon<https://rankingdigitalrights.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ed7830a631c…>. Might Musk’s disastrous first days as Twitter head be the spark that pushes us to seek out new more democratized and decentralized communications systems? And if so, what new business models will emerge to fund them? Only time will tell. For now, read more from Nathalie about “The Dangers of Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover and a For-Profit Digital Public Square.” →<https://rankingdigitalrights.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ed7830a631c…> [https://mcusercontent.com/ed7830a631cca231c4f51ceb2/images/1ab40d47-c8d2-a4…] Ranking Digital Rights is an independent research program at New America that promotes human rights by ranking the world’s most powerful digital platforms and telecommunications companies on their policies and practices affecting users’ freedom of expression and privacy. Journalists/Producers: If you would like to speak to an expert on corporate accountability regarding privacy, freedom of expression, or governance, please reach out to comms[at]rankingdigitalrights.org Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe<https://rankingdigitalrights.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ed7830a631c…> to get your own copy. [Website]<https://rankingdigitalrights.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ed7830a631c…> [Twitter]<https://rankingdigitalrights.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ed7830a631c…> [YouTube]<https://rankingdigitalrights.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ed7830a631c…> [LinkedIn]<https://rankingdigitalrights.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ed7830a631c…> RDR Privacy Policy<https://rankingdigitalrights.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ed7830a631c…>

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Re: [kictanet] KICTANet Digest, Vol 177, Issue 12
by Adrian Teri 16 Nov '22

16 Nov '22

Sarit Centre you say. Wonder if the young fella on brand is also being compensated on those same tokens... Meanwhile, the rest of the world is going through a cryptocurrency *extinction*. You read that right. Not a *"Winter"* but an *extinction*! Are #Kenyans the IE of internet browsers? Regards, Adrian Teri ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Mwendwa Kivuva <Kivuva(a)transworldafrica.com> > To: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Cc: > Bcc: > Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2022 20:23:48 +0300 > Subject: [kictanet] World coin collecting biometrics of Kenyans > Have you heard of World Coin? What is the value of your iris scan? World > Coin scans the iris of the public in exchange of the WorldCoin > cryptocurrency. I came across them at Sarit Center today. Is this legal? > Has Kenyan government and Office of the Data Protection Commissioner given > then the go ahead to mass scan the biometrics of Kenyans? > > According to the project’s team, around 30 orbs that can scan people’s > eyes and create a unique identifier are located all across the world. > Worldcoin orbs can be found in France, Sudan, Indonesia, Kenya, and Chile. > Worldcoin’s orbs are maintained by “Orb Operators” who get rewarded for > soliciting potential Worldcoin participants. Depending on when the person > got in on the project, token recipients can get between $10 and $200 worth > of the digital asset worldcoin (WC). > > The popular whistleblower Edward Snowden scorned Sam Altman’s Worldcoin > intro tweet as well. “This looks like it produces a global (hash) database > of people’s iris scans (for ‘fairness’), and waves away the implications by > saying ‘we deleted the scans,’” Snowden said. “Yeah, but you save the > *hashes* produced by the scans. Hashes that match *future* scans. Don’t > catalogue eyeballs,” Snowden added. > > > https://news.bitcoin.com/iris-scanning-worldcoin-idea-fuels-objections-from… >

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