- KICTANet - KICTANet

(WhatsApp) Bigtech v/s Governments (Global Case Studies)
by Patrick A. M. Maina 19 Jan '19

19 Jan '19

1. Power: Global big tech, like FB, are not elected institutions, yet they seem to have amassed enough power to take on *entire governments* - and this is getting worse; a. WhatsApp rejects Indian Gov request for traceability: https://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/whatsapp-rejects-indian-governments-dema… b. WhatsApp pushing back on Anti-encryption laws (India / Australia): https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.ft.com/content/8adc2b8c-1a4a-11e9-9e64-d15… All these despite mounting evidence that the tool is / can be used to *amplify* criminal or subversion activities at a scale that can seriously destabilise most governments! 2. The platforms appear keen to prioritise technology and profits over human safety or human rights (especially when dealing with the global South). https://futurism.com/india-facebooks-whatsapp-violence/amp/ 3. The US tech platforms operate as pseudo "world government" entities rather than ordinary business entities. Aggressively imposing *their own* definition of "privacy", "free speech" and "democracy" upon others. There seems to be an assumed expectation of global cultural homogeneity irrespective of country-level or regional-level Context. American platforms don't seem overly concerned that their tools can be used to trigger civil wars, genocide or coups in fragile / immature democracies. This has led to what looks like credible fears that US Big Tech is turning into a tool for advancing US hegemony. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0306396818823172 4. Even Europe (e.g France) is beefing up to indigenous cyber-defense infrastructure by building their own WhatsApp / Telegram clones for government use. https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/france-whatsapp-security/amp/ When even industrialized *western* nations want to minimise reliance on (or control exposure to) US tech platforms, would it be wise for Kenya want to increase it? Once you are locked in, it will be very costly (if not impossible) to come out. Something for government officials to think about. Degradation of security and economic stability should not be the price we pay for "innovation"; Not all technology is beneficial to humanity and it is important to have assertive public-interest policies driven by holistic and strategic analysis of our unique local circumstances and needs. Have a nice weekend. Patrick A. M. Maina(Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations)

1 0

Fwd: [NRIs List] IGF Stocktaking: Deadline Extended to Monday 21 January
by Barrack Otieno 19 Jan '19

19 Jan '19

Listers, Might be of interest to those following the IGF process. Thank you Best Regards ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Anja Gengo <anja.gengo(a)un.org> Date: Wed, Jan 16, 2019 at 1:58 PM Subject: [NRIs List] IGF Stocktaking: Deadline Extended to Monday 21 January To: igfregionals(a)intgovforum.org <igfregionals(a)intgovforum.org> Dear Colleagues, The IGF Secretariat would like to inform you that the deadline for submitting inputs to the IGF's annual stocktaking process is now EXTENDED until Monday 21 January. The Call for Inputs and submission guidance are available at the IGF website: *https://www.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/igf-community-public-consultation-taking-stock-of-the-2018-work-programme-and-13th-igf-and* <https://www.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/igf-community-public-consu…> All inputs received are already made public on the IGF's website: *https://www.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/2018-2019-stocktaking-contributions* <https://www.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/2018-2019-stocktaking-cont…> If you take a look at the list of currently received submissions, you will notice that the NRIs did not submit any. However, some of the stakeholders involved in the core organizing teams of some of the NRIs did (e.g. those involved in: Italian IGF, Swiss IGF, Ukraine national and Youth IGF, Youth India IGF). We are most thankful to these colleagues! The extension of deadline could be an opportunity for the NRIs to reflect on the IGF 2018 preparatory process and add suggestions for how the NRIs-IGF collaboration can be improved in this year. Thank you very much in advance! Best regards, Anja _______________________________________________ Igfregionals mailing list Igfregionals(a)intgovforum.org To unsubscribe or manage your options please go to http://intgovforum.org/mailman/listinfo/igfregionals_intgovforum.org -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

1 0

Fwd: Connect Africa : FW: [afnog] Final Announcement: AIS 2019 - AfNOG , 9 - 21 JUNE - KAMPALA - UGANDA
by Barrack Otieno 19 Jan '19

19 Jan '19

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Victor Ndonnang via Internet Society <Mail(a)connectedcommunity.org> Date: Sat, Jan 19, 2019 at 12:19 AM Subject: Connect Africa : FW: [afnog] Final Announcement: AIS 2019 - AfNOG , 9 - 21 JUNE - KAMPALA - UGANDA To: <otieno.barrack(a)gmail.com> Hi all, Forwarding the below message to you for information and action. Best regards, Victor. -- Victor Ndonnang Chapter Development Manager,... -posted to the "Connect Africa" community == Please, reply above this line == ------------------------------ Connect Africa <https://connect.internetsociety.org/communities/community-home/digestviewer…> FW: [afnog] Final Announcement: AIS 2019 - AfNOG , 9 - 21 JUNE - KAMPALA - UGANDA <https://connect.internetsociety.org/communities/community-home/digestviewer…> [image: Victor Ndonnang] <https://connect.internetsociety.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=c955b5d…> Jan 18, 2019 4:19 PM Victor Ndonnang <https://connect.internetsociety.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=c955b5d…> Hi all, Forwarding the below message to you for information and action. Best regards, Victor. *-- * *Victor Ndonnang* *Chapter Development Manager, Africa* Mobile: +1 770-837-7634 – Skype: Ndonnang [image: image001.png(a)01D422CF.BA25C880] <https://www.internetsociety.org/> *The Internet is for Everyone* https://www.internetsociety.org [image: /Users/victor/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Outlook/Data/Library/Caches/Signatures/signature_1206349235] <https://www.facebook.com/InternetSociety> [image: /Users/victor/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Outlook/Data/Library/Caches/Signatures/signature_696112137] <https://twitter.com/internetsociety> [image: /Users/victor/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Outlook/Data/Library/Caches/Signatures/signature_366865481] <https://www.internetsociety.org/blog/> *From: *afnog <afnog-bounces(a)afnog.org> on behalf of nancy dotse < nancy(a)ghana.com> *Reply-To: *nancy dotse <nancy(a)ghana.com> *Date: *Friday, January 18, 2019 at 13:19 *To: *Afnog <afnog(a)afnog.org> *Subject: *[afnog] Final Announcement: AIS 2019 - AfNOG , 9 - 21 JUNE - KAMPALA - UGANDA Hi All, The AfNOG Workshop Application deadline has just been extended for two more weeks ending* 30 Jan 2019.* This is the FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT and those who do not apply by the deadline will not get the opportunity to attend the Event. kindly forward to mailing lists to enable interested applicants apply. *Workshop application information is at :* *English: www.afnog.org/applications/online_application_en.php <http://www.afnog.org/applications/online_application_en.php>* *French: www.afnog.org/applications/online_application_fr.php <http://www.afnog.org/applications/online_application_fr.php>* Participants should please remember to provide complete answers as Applications will be evaluated based on the answers provided. Best regards Nancy Dotse AfNOG Coordinator ---------- Original Message ---------- From: nancy dotse <nancy(a)ghana.com> To: Afnog <afnog(a)afnog.org> Date: October 11, 2018 at 6:25 PM Subject: AIS 2019 - AfNOG ANNOUNCEMENT, 9 - 21 JUNE - KAMPALA - UGANDA Hi All, Hope you are doing well. AfNOG 2019 been announced as below. Interested applicants should please click on the Workshop Online Application link therein to apply. Please remember to provide complete answers as your Application will be evaluated based on the answers provided. Further, kindly forward to various mailing lists Best regards Nancy Dotse AfNOG Coordinator AFRICA INTERNET SUMMIT (AIS) 2019 – WORKSHOPS & CONFERENCES AFRICAN NETWORK OPERTORS GROUP (AfNOG) Africa Internet Summit (AIS) Secretariat announces AfNOG's program at The Africa Internet Summit scheduled to be held in Kampala, UGANDA from 9th – 21st June 2019. AIS is the pinnacle multi-stakeholder event combining, workshops, conferences and networking for the internet Industry. The annual summit attracts internationally renowned Instructors, Experts and Speakers to share the latest innovations and Best practices in the Internet industry. This is the place where the African Technical Institutions and Af* such as AfNOG, AFRINIC, AfREN, AfricaCERT, AfTLD –AROC, AfCHIX , ISOC Africa, AfrICANN, AfGWG etc meet. Meeting the needs of the Africa Internet Community: AIS aims at meeting the ever-changing needs of the ICT Industry and includes the core IP Engineering as well as integrating the real world use and impact of IP Technologies. Sessions include technical and business aspects of the Internet :ie Capacity Building, Infrastructure, Security, Policy, Content & Names, Internet Numbers and Research. About the Entire Event : Event Calendar include the following: - AfNOG Workshop on Network Technology (offering advanced training in a week-long hands-on workshop) • Several one /two full-day Advanced AfNOG Tutorials • AfricaCERT Workshop & Forums • AFRINIC Trainings • AfREN Forum • AfTLD – Workshop & Forum • ISOC Africa Sessions • ICANN Africa Day - o AfChixTechWomen Summit • A one-day AfNOG Plenary Session • A three-day AFRINIC Plenary Session. In addition, several side meetings and workshops will be hosted in collaboration with other organizations. Who Attends? A broad range of ICT Industry leaders and technical experts including Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Network Engineers, CSIRTs Engineers and Policy makers who wish to acquire the necessary skills in ICT, Government, Regulators, Telecommunication companies and ICT vendors. It is a good opportunity for networking among peers and businesses. Why Attend? - The AIS addresses the current and future needs of operators in the ICT Industry • It is focused on popular and emerging ICT Industries such as Cyber Security, Mobile Networking among other. • It features discussions on a wide range of issues of the Internet including the current and newest trends in ICT. • Industry experts will be participating in conference sessions from thought-provoking and visionary keynote presentations to interactive panel sessions, all addressing the most pressing topics LOCAL HOST : NFT Consult, Uganda TIME TABLE Workshop & Tutorials - Event Date(s) Unix Boot Camp 9 June 2019 (Sunday) Networking Boot Camp 9 June 2019 (Sunday) CERT Boot Camp 9 June 2019 (Sunday) AfNOG Workshop 10 June - 14 June 2019 (Monday - Friday) AfricaCERT Workshop 10 June -14 June 2019 (Monday - Friday) AfTLD – Workshop & Forum 10 June - 14 June 2019 (Monday - Friday) AFRINIC Trainings 15 – 17 June 2019 (Saturday - Monday) AfCHIX TechWomen Summit 15 June 2019 (Saturday) AfNOG Tutorials 15 - 17 June 2019 (Saturday - Monday) Forums & Conference : Event Date(s) ISOC Africa Sessions TBC ICANN Africa Sessions TBC Opening Session 17 June 2019 (Monday at 5 pm) AfREN Meeting / AAF 17 June2019 (Monday) AfNOG-20 Conference 18 June 2019 (Tuesday) AFRINIC-30 Conference 19 – 21 June, 2019 (Wednesday - Friday) About AfNOG AfNOG (See http://www.afnog.org/) is a forum for cooperation and the exchange of technical information between operators of Internet-connected networks in Africa. AfNOG aims at building a community of engineers helping each other operate Internet Infrastructure in Africa, and on the Global Internet as well as promote the discussion of issues relating to implementation of new networks that require community cooperation. AfNOG has since year 2000 organized their annual Event in a different African country each year. "While AfNOG fuels the rapid growth of the Internet in Africa with trained technical capacity, our content has been determined by the needs of the community. In so doing AfNOG's output training capacity has multiplied in the past decade and the community flourished" AfNOG Workshop on Network Technology : The AfNOG Workshop on Network Technology aims to offer advanced training to people who are in the process of developing and enhancing an Internet-connected network with regional and international connectivity. The target audience includes senior and mid-level technical staff of commercial Internet service providers (ISPs), academic networks, government networks, or NGO networks. This workshop builds on the experience of previous AfNOG workshops held annually from 2000 to 2018 in Nineteen different African countries, and also the Internet Society's INET workshops, held annually from 1993 to 2000 at eight locations around the world. The workshop's Instructors are an international team with many years of experience in operating large networks and teaching about network operations. AfNOG 2019 Workshop Tracks This year's workshop is divided into six parallel Tracks: ( 5 English & 1 French Tracks). - SS-E Scalable Internet Services (in English), focused on the design and operation of email, web, and other Internet services, in ways that can scale to handle large numbers of end users. - SI-E - Scalable Network Infrastructure (in English), focused on the design and operation of networks using routers and switches, in ways that can scale to handle large numbers of interconnected sites. - NM – E, Network Monitoring & Management (English) - NM-F, Network Monitoring & Management (enfrancais), similar to track NM-E, but given in French. - AR –E, Advanced Routing Techniques (English) - CT- E, CERT Training (English) Workshop application information is at : English: www.afnog.org/applications/online_application_en.php French: www.afnog.org/applications/online_application_fr.php **Workshop Application Deadline – 15th Jan, 2019 AfNOG Tutorials AfNOG will offer 1 to 2 full-day(s) tutorials on advanced topics. Tutorials take place in a classroom-style environment, and may include a hands-on practical component. Tutorials are non-commercial in nature, and most are technically oriented. They are intended to offer advanced training on technology already deployed or soon to be deployed on networking and related services provisioning for ISP operations. Additional information about AfNOG 2019 Tutorials will be available here shortly: www.afnog.org/afnog2019/tutorial About AFRINIC AFRINIC is the Regional Internet Registry for Africa headquartered in Ebene, Mauritius. It is responsible for the distribution and management of Internet number resources (IP address space and Autonomous System Numbers) in Africa and the Indian Ocean region. AFRINIC ensures equitable and efficient distribution of Internet number resources to the African Internet community to support Internet governance, technology usage and development across the continent. Trainings and capacity building are a central part of AFRINIC's activities and the objective is to build competence within Africa in IPv6 adoption as well as associated technologies required to use internet number resources effectively. More on AFRINIC can be found at http://www.afrinic.net/ . AfricaCERT AfricaCERT will hold a 6 day Workshop & Tutorial on CSIRT Operations from 10th to 14th June 2019 in Kampala, Uganda. AfricaCERT is the African forum of computer incident response teams, and aims to propose solutions to Challenges for a better health in the Af* Internet Ecosystem. The objectives of AfricaCERT include, but are not restricted to : - Assisting African countries in establishing CSIRTs; • Strengthening the relationships amongst CSIRTs in Africa and with other stakeholders all over the World; • Fostering and supporting education and outreach programs in ICT Security; • Encouraging information sharing in ICT Security; • Promoting good practices and experiences sharing among members to develop a comprehensive framework for cybersecurity including better addressing of legal and regulatory issues; • Assisting African CSIRTS in improving Cyber readiness and enhancing the resilience of ICT Infrastructure; • Promoting Collaborative Technology Research, Development and Innovation in the ICT security field. Please visit http://www.africacert.org/ for further information. AfTLD – AROC Workshop & Meeting Africa Top Level Domains Organization will be conducting a Workshop & Forum during AIS. Further information will be provided shortly. ICANN Africa ICANN Africa will be holding sessions on ICANN. Further information will be provided shortly. ISOC AFRICA ISOC Africa will be holding sessions/tutorials on Internet Governance, etc. Further information will be provided shortly. AfCHIX AfCHIX will be holding the Third AfCHIX Tech Women Summit on 15th June, 2019. Further information will be provided shortly. AfREN The Africa Research and Education Networking (AfREN) will be holding a one day meeting on 17th June 2019. AfREN is the annual forum on African research and education networking. As one of the Af* organizations, the AfREN forum is part of the annual Africa Internet Summit (AIS) and was convened since 2007 by the Research and Education Networking Unit (RENU) of the Association of African Universities in collaboration with AfNOG & AFRINIC. The forum is a platform for discussions on issues of interest to the research and education networking (REN) community such as collaboration, advocacy and coordination of activities in Africa. Sharing of experience and best practices as well as presentation of innovative networking technologies are also regularly addressed at AfREN. The sponsorship of campus network Managers to attend the annual AfNOG training workshops has also become an integral part of AfREN. Since 2012, with the formation of regional RENs covering all the countries of Africa, there is a traditional session on updates from the UbuntuNet Alliance (Eastern & Southern Africa), WACREN (West and Central Africa) and ASREN (Arab countries, including North Africa). Typical AfREN participants include among others, campus and research and education network practitioners, REN operators, telecom operators, regulators, policy makers and international partners. Additional information on AfREN 2019 will be provided shortly. AfNOG - 2019 Conference The 20th AfNOG Conference will be held in Kampala Uganda, on 18th June 2019. AfNOG conferences provide a forum for the coordination and dissemination of technical information related to backbone/enterprise networking technologies and operational practices. The conferences are informal, with an emphasis on relevance to current and future African backbone engineering practices. The AfNOG 2018 conference in Senegal drew several delegates, mainly consisting of network engineering staff from lnternet Service providers, Telecommunication Companies, Government, Research and Education community, Civil Society. Additional information and the Conference schedule will be available here shortly: www.afnog.org/afnog2019/conference AFRINIC- 30 Public Policy Meeting The AFRINIC-30 Public Policy meeting will be held in Kampala, Uganda for three days from 19th – 21st June, 2019. AFRINIC Meetings are open to everyone and provide an excellent opportunity to take part in Internet policy discussions. These policies, which describe how Internet Number Resources should be managed and distributed, are developed by the community. The meeting will include tutorials, presentations, update on the various working groups and the AFRINIC Public Policy Meeting. The three day meeting will be preceded by IPv6 training and training in Internet Number Resource Management. Please join us, once again, as we come together to learn, network and shape the future of ICT in Africa!! *Reply to Sender Online <https://connect.internetsociety.org/communities/all-discussions/postreply?M…>* *View Thread <https://connect.internetsociety.org/communities/community-home/digestviewer…>* *Flag as Inappropriate <https://connect.internetsociety.org/communities/community-home/digestviewer…>* You are subscribed to "Connect Africa" as otieno.barrack(a)gmail.com. To change your subscriptions, go to My Subscriptions <http://connect.internetsociety.org/preferences?section=Subscriptions>. To unsubscribe from this community discussion, go to Unsubscribe <http://connect.internetsociety.org/HigherLogic/eGroups/Unsubscribe.aspx?Use…> . -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

1 0

Online learning portal on new Technologies.
by John Matogo 17 Jan '19

17 Jan '19

Dear listers, This is a useful resource you can leverage for learning new technologies. There is new content on Data Science and Blockchain in the New Collars Section. In addition to learning, users are able to obtain *Digital Badges* when they complete certification, users also get a platform on which they can develop and host apps and also *find jobs directly from the portal*. *Registration and Learning is Free*. All one requires is an email address and Internet access. *To access the platform go to **http://www.digitalnationafrica.com* <http://www.digitalnationafrica.com> Best.

2 1

Big Data Analytics Training
by Timothy- Coach- Oriedo 17 Jan '19

17 Jan '19

Dear Listers, https://training.predictiveanalytics.co.ke/ Predictive Analytics Lab, domiciled i Nairobi but with a client footprint in Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania has launched blended learning modules in data science to bridge the industry demand supply deficit . Designed to cater for the needs of analytics professions across the spectrum, from Entry level generalists to intermediary Machine Learning experts to specialist level Data Engineers. The training and coaching program intends to inject more native Data Scientists to help solve local challenges leveraging on homegrown tuned algorithms and datasets. It prepares the participants for career transformation moves whether they are seeking vertical growth within the organisation or horizontal growth by moving out of employment into dataprenuership consulting. We look forward to your support by registering and referrals through the link below. https://training.predictiveanalytics.co.ke/ Kind Regards Tim Coach Timothy Oriedo [image: http://]timothyoriedo.coach <http://timothyoriedo.coach?promo=email_sig&utm_source=product&utm_medium=em…>

2 1

Huawei Kenya Sustainability
by Adam Lane 17 Jan '19

17 Jan '19

Hi all I was chatting with Grace and realized I forgot to share the Huawei Kenya Sustainability Report that was launched late last year, and that it might be interesting for KICTAnet members...it maps our contribution to all 17 SDGs, and covers both commercial and philanthropic activities, as well as our operations and can be downloaded here<https://www.huawei.com/minisite/explore-kenya/pdf/huawei_kenya_csd_report.p…>. This is our first Kenya report and just highlights key activities. Please read the global report<https://www.huawei.com/en/about-huawei/sustainability/sustainability-report> for more details on anything that is global, as it is more comprehensive particularly on issues related to cybsersecurity, privacy, environmental protection, and supply chain. A summary: [cid:image002.png@01D4A9BA.A800C160] Cheers Adam Senior Director, Public Affairs Huawei Kenya Mobile: +254-7909-85886 E-mail: adam.lane(a)huawei.com<mailto:adam.lane@huawei.com> Address:5th Floor, Tiara Office Park, Mugumo Road, Lavington, Nairobi, Kenya http://www.huawei.com/en/ Read Huawei Kenya's First Ever Sustainability Report here<https://www.huawei.com/minisite/explore-kenya/pdf/huawei_kenya_csd_report.p…> [W3 Home]<http://w3.huawei.com/>

2 1

#10YearChallenge and data mining
by Grace Githaiga 17 Jan '19

17 Jan '19

"If you use social media, you've probably noticed a trend across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter of people posting their then-and-now profile pictures, mostly from 10 years ago and this year. Imagine that you wanted to train a facial recognition algorithm on age-related characteristics and, more specifically, on age progression (e.g., how people are likely to look as they get older). Ideally, you'd want a broad and rigorous dataset with lots of people's pictures. It would help if you knew they were taken a fixed number of years apart—say, 10 years.... In other words, thanks to this meme, there’s now a very large dataset of carefully curated photos of people from roughly 10 years ago and now." Read more on: https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-10-year-meme-challenge/ Best regards -- Grace Githaiga Co-Convenor, Kenya ICT Action Network

3 2

India's Bharti Airtel in talks to buy Telkom Kenya
by Victor Kapiyo 17 Jan '19

17 Jan '19

Looks like it's soon going to be a two horse race for mobile subscribers... India’s Bharti Airtel is in talks to buy Telkom Kenya, the country’s smallest telecoms operator, to create a stronger challenger to market leader Safaricom, three industry sources told Reuters on Monday. London-based Helios Investment, which owns a 60 percent stake in Telkom, is looking to partly cash out of the investment which it entered in 2015, the sources said. https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/business/Bharti-Airtel-in-talks-to-buy-Tel…

1 0

Africa: Increasing internet Shutdowns and media bans limiting access to information
by Victor Kapiyo 17 Jan '19

17 Jan '19

ARTICLE 19 is concerned by a series of internet shutdowns across Africa, most recently in Zimbabwe, where the internet has reportedly been blocked since 15 January. Similar shutdowns in Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Gabon and South Sudan have likewise paralyzed access to information and communication for citizens of these countries. https://www.article19.org/resources/africa-increasing-internet-shutdowns-an…

2 1

Startups write to PM Modi for exemption from Section 68; here's what it is - The Financial Express
by WANGARI KABIRU 16 Jan '19

16 Jan '19

1 0

Economic sabotage via FAKE NEWS
by Patrick A. M. Maina 15 Jan '19

15 Jan '19

[long post - but interesting topic] Hi Listers, There is a new target for weaponised information (i.e. fake news / propaganda): The Economy. It is increasingly apparent that "Fake news" can be (and is being) used to sabotage and/or derail an entire country or region's economic agenda by (local and/or foreign) parties intent on furthering their own interests at any cost to the targeted country or region, and the media seems to be an unwitting (or unconcerned?) participant. Some of us may have already noticed a critical flaw in the "free media" business model. It is viewership (not the quality of stories) that drives their revenue. Now one would expect viewership and quality to be strongly correlated but that thought does not factor human nature. Majority of people gravitate towards entertaining / controversial / shocking / shaming subjects. Very few people care for deep, broad or complex analysis of the real issues especially if the conclusions are not sensational. Even fewer search for multiple viewpoints before drawing their own conclusions. They would rather trust the author to have done sufficient balanced research and analysis (which is often far from reality e.g. due to time constraints associated with "breaking" or "exclusive" news models). So *controversy* (not information) is what sustains media houses in democratic countries globally. Consequently this has made them easy targets for targeted disinformation campaigns. As much as the media claims to have a code of conduct or editorial policies, we see all over the world evidence that media (and/or journalism) is not free of overt/covert bias. In Kenya we have the open secret of "envelope" or "eWallet" journalism for example... Is "Free press" an illusion? How can a media house be free when its shareholders demand endless growth in profits - something that can only be achieved by "giving people what they want" (not what they need)? Which media house will publish a story that potentially upsets a major advertiser? Can they refuse millions from deep pocketed international lobbyists to spread propaganda (provided there are legal loopholes to evade treason, libel or other forms of accountability)? Critical thinkers will agree that nowadays the media (worldwide) are informing less and manipulating more...and it almost looks deliberate (no wonder the uptick in conspiracy theories globally!). The hidden (but harmful) impact of this is increased *mass ignorance* within populations at the very least, with other potentially worse implications (e.g. spread of unfounded fears or hate targeted at certain groups). Fake news is particularly insidious and destructive when the economy or development agenda is targeted for sabotage. To the average person, it looks like harmless gossip or sensational chatter from "concerned (usually faceless) groups" but if you consider the consequences in monetary terms, e.g. if truly beneficial projects be abandoned, delayed or scaled down for invalid or unjustifiable reasons, then there is a massive cost that the taxpayer will ultimately have to foot. What looks like fierce competition between geopolitical power players in pursuit of *their* interests can end up completely derailing an otherwise promising economic agenda of the targeted country/region. Should local media be held accountable for the consequences of facilitating economic sabotage that is commensurate with any harmful impact of the fake/distorted/half-truth stories being told? I value press freedom but I think all freedoms are balanced with some kind of equitable accountability (such that A's freedoms don't harm B's rights). It is not the media that feels the pain of irresponsible reporting, its the MSME business people whose opportunities for growth get limited, or hardworking employees whose taxes (or costs of living) go up as government scrambles to raise funds in a booby trapped economy. Meanwhile the controversy / fake news fuelled media shareholders laugh all the way to the bank. The bigger picture for all of us, no matter our role in society, is to try contribute (within our abilities) towards peace, progress, democratic ideals, better standards of living and economic prosperity. I think it is irresponsible for one party to exercise its rights just for the sake of it, without regard to impact on other people's rights (e. g. to have a stable, predictable and growing economy). What do you think? Is the western model of "press freedom" failing? Share your thoughts. BrgdsPatrick A. M. Maina(Independent Public Policy Analyst)

3 4

Concern over graft as State centralizes IT procurement
by Joel Itube 14 Jan '19

14 Jan '19

https://www.nation.co.ke/news/Concerns-over-graft-as-State-centralises-proc… Kind Regards, Joel Itube

1 0

Fwd: [Internet Policy] 'Right to be forgotten' by Google should apply only in EU, says court opinion
by Barrack Otieno 14 Jan '19

14 Jan '19

Dear Listers, Interesting development. Learned friends what is your take? Regards ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Joly MacFie <joly(a)punkcast.com> Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2019 10:58:48 -0500 Subject: [Internet Policy] 'Right to be forgotten' by Google should apply only in EU, says court opinion To: "internetpolicy(a)elists.isoc.org" <InternetPolicy(a)elists.isoc.org> (Via Access Now) https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jan/10/right-to-be-forgotten-by… The “right to be forgotten”, which enables claimants to request the removal of links to irrelevant or outdated online information about them, should not be enforceable globally, the European court of justice (ECJ) has found in a preliminary opinion. The controversial power, requiring search engines to prevent access to material on the internet, should be enforceable only in the EU and not worldwide, the court’s advocate general, Maciej Szpunar, said. Final judgments by the ECJ usually endorse initial opinions. The case related to a dispute between Google and France’s National Commission for Information Technology and Civil Liberties (CNIL), with a number of UK and international free speech organisations saying that extending the power could encourage censorship in countries such as China, Russia and Saudi Arabia. In his opinion, the advocate general said the right to be forgotten must be balanced against other “fundamental rights”, such as the right to data protection, privacy and the legitimate public interest in accessing information. Szpunar said if worldwide “de-referencing” was allowed, EU authorities would not be able to determine a right to receive information or balance it against other fundamental rights to data protection and to privacy. <snip> -- --------------------------------------------------------------- Joly MacFie 218 565 9365 Skype:punkcast -------------------------------------------------------------- - -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

2 1

Samsung Users Can't Delete Facebook, making it crapware to users who don't need it
by Mwendwa Kivuva 10 Jan '19

10 Jan '19

Facebook has inked an unknown number of agreements with Android smartphone makers, mobile carriers and OSes around the world to not only pre-load Facebook’s eponymous app on hardware but render the software *undeleteable*; a permanent feature of your device, whether you like how the company’s app can track your every move and digital action or not. Bloomberg spoke to a U.S. owner of a Samsung Galaxy S8 who, after reading forum discussions about Samsung devices, found his own pre-loaded Facebook <https://crunchbase.com/organization/facebook>app could not be removed. It could only be “disabled,” with no explanation available to him as to what exactly that meant. The Galaxy S8 retailed for $725+ when it went on sale in the U.S. two years ago <https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/20/samsung-galaxy-s8-and-galaxy-s8-now-on-sa…> . A Facebook spokesperson told Bloomberg that a disabled permanent app doesn’t continue collecting data or sending information back to the company, but declined to specify exactly how many such pre-install deals Facebook has globally. Samsung told the news organization it provides a pre-installed Facebook app on “selected models” with options to disable it, adding that once disabled, the app is no longer running. https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/09/facebook-is-the-new-crapware/amp/

2 1

Fwd: [NRIs List] IGF2019 reminder: Taking Stock and Call for Issues OPEN
by Barrack Otieno 09 Jan '19

09 Jan '19

Listers, This is for your information and action. Regards ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Anja Gengo <anja.gengo(a)un.org> Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2019 11:46:25 +0000 Subject: [NRIs List] IGF2019 reminder: Taking Stock and Call for Issues OPEN To: "igfregionals(a)intgovforum.org" <igfregionals(a)intgovforum.org> Dear Colleagues, This is a kind reminder on two important IGF processes currently underway: * Taking stock of the 2018 work programme and 13th IGF and suggestions for 2019 and 14th IGF All NRIs are encouraged to help strengthening the IGF, by providing written inputs on what worked well during the IGF 2018 cycle and how can we improve the 2019 IGF cycle. On THIS LINK<https://www.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/igf-community-public-consu…> you can see a set of proposed guiding questions to address. Deadline for submissions: 15 January 2019. All received inputs will be published on the IGF website, and summarized to feed into the first face to face IGF Open Consultations and MAG meeting. * IGF 2019 Call For Issues It would be much helpful to the IGF, if you would let the community know what issues were among highest priorities for your respective communities in the recent period. You can submit as many issues as you want through THIS LINK<https://www.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/igf-2019-call-for-issues>. Deadline for submissions: 24 January 2019. Thank you very much in advance for your collaboration on these important processes! Best regards, Anja -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

1 0

Use law on right to information to fight corruption
by S.M. Muraya 09 Jan '19

09 Jan '19

Dear Listers, If Executive Order No. 2 of 2018 is prioritized and maintained, in 2020, we can start to track the percentage of funds allocated to information system (transparency promoting) projects. https://www.nation.co.ke/oped/opinion/Use-law-on-right-to-information-to-fi… In his desire to make the government accountable and tackle the runaway corruption, President Uhuru Kenyatta issued Executive Order No. 2 of 2018, directing public entities to, from July 1, maintain and continuously update and publicise complete information of all tenders awarded. Subsequently, the Public Procurement Information Portal — an online platform for the publication of contract awards and tender notices by public bodies — was set up to consolidate and upload such information on a monthly basis. More than 7,000 tenders and 1,500 contracts worth Sh50 billion awarded to 4,200 suppliers have been posted to enhance transparency in the public procurement of goods and services.

1 0

NYABUGA: Mugo Kibati epiphany seems long in coming - Daily Nation
by Mutindi Muema 09 Jan '19

09 Jan '19

Dear listers, I came across this article ... It would be interesting to hear your views on the same. https://www.nation.co.ke/oped/opinion/Kibati-epiphany-seems-long-in-coming/… Kind regards, Mutindi.

3 2

Fwd: [Internet Policy] Relation between blockchain and real world
by Barrack Otieno 08 Jan '19

08 Jan '19

Listers, As we look forward to the report from the Block Chain Taskforce, this will be an interesting read. Regards ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Richard Hill <rhill(a)hill-a.ch> Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2019 12:49:03 +0100 Subject: [Internet Policy] Relation between blockchain and real world To: internetpolicy(a)elists.isoc.org The article referenced below gives a good explanation of why blockchain may not be suitable for certain applications: https://www.coindesk.com/the-false-promise-blockchains-will-revolutionize-r… Best, Richard -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

2 1

Fwd: [At-Large] ISOC Hall of Fame Nominations
by Barrack Otieno 08 Jan '19

08 Jan '19

Listers, For your attention and action. Best Regards ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Glenn McKnight <mcknight.glenn(a)gmail.com> Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2019 14:57:49 -0500 Subject: [At-Large] ISOC Hall of Fame Nominations To: At-Large Worldwide <at-large(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org> Do you know someone who has played a major role in the development and advancement of the Internet? Now is the time to recognize their contribution. Nominate them for the 2019 Internet Hall of Fame. With more than 100 inductees, the Internet Hall of Fame celebrates Internet pioneers and innovators who have pushed the boundaries to bring the Internet to life and make it an essential resource for billions of people today. The Internet Hall of Fame, launched in 2012 by the Internet Society, recognizes: • Individuals who were instrumental in the design and development of the Internet with exceptional achievements that impacted the Internet's global advancement and evolution; • Individuals who made outstanding technological, commercial, or other advances and helped to expand the Internet’s positive impact on the lives of others; • Individuals who made major contributions to the growth, connectivity, and use of the Internet, either on a global scale or within a specific region that resulted in global impact. For more information or to make a nomination, visit https://www.internethalloffame.org/nominations <https://www.internethalloffame.org/nominations?fbclid=IwAR18mUidmWZq_ZX73hl…> . The deadline for nominations is 8 March 2019. Please help us spread the news and share this message with your networks and contacts. If you have any questions, email internethalloffame(a)isoc.org. Glenn McKnight NARALO Secretariat mcknight.glenn(a)gmail.com http://toronto.ieee.ca/ IEEE Toronto SIGHT Chair glenn.mcknight(a)ieee.org skype gmcknight twitter gmcknight 289-830 6259 . <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_cam…> Virus-free. www.avg.com <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_cam…> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

1 0

Fwd: [Internet Policy] Future of Data Driven political campaigns
by Barrack Otieno 08 Jan '19

08 Jan '19

Listers, This might be of interest. Regards ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Richard Hill <rhill(a)hill-a.ch> Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2019 20:01:08 +0100 Subject: [Internet Policy] Future of Data Driven political campaigns To: internetpolicy(a)elists.isoc.org I thought that this article was worth cross-posting: https://opendemocracy.net/renata-avila/fixing-digital-democracy-future-of-d… Best, Richard _______________________________________________ To manage your ISOC subscriptions or unsubscribe, please log into the ISOC Member Portal: https://portal.isoc.org/ Then choose Interests & Subscriptions from the My Account menu. -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

1 0

Mozilla applauds the government of Kenya for publishing the Data Protection Bill, 2018.
by esther kamande 07 Jan '19

07 Jan '19

In the spirit of increased private sector engagement in policy making, Mozilla applauds the government of Kenya for publishing the Data Protection Bill, 2018. *".... a strong data protection law must protect the rights of individuals with meaningful consent at its core. It must have strong obligations placed on data controllers and processors reflecting the significant responsibilities associated with collecting, storing, using, analyzing, and processing user data; and provide for effective enforcement by an empowered, independent, and well-resourced Data Protection Authority. We’re pleased to see all of these values included in the Kenyan data protection bill......"* Alice Munyua (Policy Advisor Mozilla Corporation). Excerpt from : https://blog.mozilla.org/netpolicy/2019/01/02/kenya-considers-protection-of… Mozilla’s comments on the Kenyan data protection bill can be found here <https://ca.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Mozilla-Submission-of-Comments-…> . https://ca.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Mozilla-Submission-of-Comments-… Let us continue engaging the government to ensure the bill is *perfected* and passed in 2019. Happy new year Listers! Kind Regards, Esther Kamande Advocate | InfoTech Law Twitter: @enkamande

1 0

Fwd: [i-network] AIS 2019 - AfNOG ANNOUNCEMENT, 9 - 21 JUNE - KAMPALA - UGANDA
by Barrack Otieno 04 Jan '19

04 Jan '19

Listers, Might be of interest to some. Regards ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: badru.ntege(a)nftconsult.com <badru.ntege(a)nftconsult.com> Date: Fri, Jan 4, 2019 at 8:08 AM Subject: [i-network] AIS 2019 - AfNOG ANNOUNCEMENT, 9 - 21 JUNE - KAMPALA - UGANDA To: I-Network Uganda <i-network(a)dgroups.org> Cc: Techies <techies-bounces(a)uixp.co.ug>, Richard Okuti <rokuti(a)intracen.org > Good Morning All The Application deadline is gradually drawing to a close and we urge all interested applicants to please click on the Workshop Online Application link below to apply. Workshop application information is at : English: http://www.afnog.org/applications/online_application_en.php French: http://www.afnog.org/applications/online_application_fr.php Please remember to provide complete answers as your Application will be evaluated based on the answers provided. Further, kindly forward to various mailing lists For Ugandans this is a great opportunity not only to get probably the best network training available but to also meet the leaders in building what we enjoy today as an African internet infrastructure. Best regards [image: cid:image001.png@01D375D0.BEBB4E30] MAILING LIST RULES - http://www.i-network.or.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=189… WEEKLY DISCUSSION ROUNDUPS - http://www.i-network.or.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=19… QUARTERLY eNEWSLETTERS - http://www.i-network.or.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=34&… WEBSITE - www.i-network.or.ug TWITTER - http://twitter.com/inetwork FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/inetwork.ug The I-Network Dgroup is a platform for ICT Knowledge Sharing --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit [web site]( http://dgroups.org/iicd/i-network/ ) Click [here]( mailto:leave.i-network@dgroups.org ) to unsubscribe The email is intended only for the recipients. The owners of the Dgroups cannot be held responsible for the contents of the email message. -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

1 0

ICYMI - Competitiveness - Balancing the metrics
by Patrick A. M. Maina 04 Jan '19

04 Jan '19

A must read article on the need to have balanced competitiveness indicators. When a country scores highly on "Ease of doing business" rankings it does not necessarily mean that other critical factors for a thriving economy are in place. Balanced metrics can inform better policies and incentives. Example of additional metrics: Competitiveness: What products or services does our country offer to global markets with a strong value proposition? Lots of potential for ICT here. Predictability: Financial system e.g. banking & credit / Political / Regulatory / Dispute resolution... Income distribution: at what rate is the median purchasing power increasing? Check it out... https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/analysis/columnists/Competitiveness-a-m…

1 0

How Apps on Android Share Data with Facebook - Report
by Wamathai (HapaKenya) 03 Jan '19

03 Jan '19

"Facebook routinely tracks users, non-users and logged-out users outside its platform through Facebook Business Tools. App developers share data with Facebook through the Facebook Software Development Kit (SDK), a set of software development tools that help developers build apps for a specific operating system. Using the free and open source software tool called "mitmproxy", an interactive HTTPS proxy, Privacy International has analyzed the data that 34 apps on Android, each with an install base from 10 to 500 million, transmit to Facebook through the Facebook SDK." https://privacyinternational.org/report/2647/how-apps-android-share-data-fa…

1 0

Fw: [bestbits] E-commerce negotiations expected to be launched at Davos - Statement against
by WANGARI KABIRU 03 Jan '19

03 Jan '19

Blessed New Year 2019! The arguments and counter in the forwarded message would interest the growing "e-commerce" players. "Developing countries cannot simply hope that the benefits of their local producers getting new markets through global e-commerce will somehow outweigh the disadvantages of cheap products from mass manufacturing centres inundating their domestic markets. They would be equally misplaced to expect that global e-commerce rules will help the flourishing of their domestic digital platforms, where they already exist. The latter face quick annihilation as soon as global digital majors cast their eyes on the corresponding markets. India, which has been a little ahead of the curve among developing countries (other than China), has already seen its major digital platform companies unionise and seek government protection against global ‘capital dumping’." 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". ----- Forwarded message ----- From: parminder <parminder(a)itforchange.net>To: "governance(a)lists.riseup.net" <governance(a)lists.riseup.net>; bestbits(a)lists.bestbits.net> < <bestbits(a)lists.bestbits.net>Sent: Thursday, 3 January 2019, 09:31:19 GMT+3Subject: [bestbits] E-commerce negotiations expected to be launched at Davos - Statement against Hi All Wishing you all a great 2019! It is expected that plurilateral negotiations on e-commerce will be launched at the World Economic Forum's Davos annual meeting last week of Jan 2019, bypassing the WTO. The African group and India had blocked attempts at launching ecom negotiations at the WTO Buenos Aires ministerial in Dec 2017 ... We have prepared the enclosed and below statement for sign ons. It highlights what is contained in the proposed rules, what are the proponents' true motives, why some developing countries get deceived, and why these rules should be stopped. Pl follow the instructions on the statement for endorsement...An email to be me would work as well.... best, parminder Statement developed by Just Net Coalition E-commerce negotiations being launched at the WEF are really about rules for digital colonisation A call to the people and governments of the world to oppose legitimisation of the new land grab of people’s, communities’, and nations’ data World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Davos meeting in January, 2019, is expected to witness the launch of plurilateral negotiations on global e-commerce rules, bypassing the WTO. Dominant digital interests – global digital business and governments supporting it – plan the proposed rules to be a blue-print for a whole new global digital order. A new digital social contract Agrarian-feudal economic and social relationships centred on land ownership, and industrial age ones on ownership of industrial and later intellectual capital. In the digital age, these relationships will revolve around ownership of data and the resultant artificial intelligence.1 The proposed e-commerce rules2 mandate unrestrained global flow of data – the primary resource of the digital society. This in essence means that data will be the property of whoever collects and hoards it. It provides an, in perpetuity, legitimacy to global data land-grabs by a few digital corporations such as Facebook, Google, Amazon, Alibaba, etc. These rules would insulate global digital corporations from national regulation by disallowing any requirement for their ‘local presence’ in the domestic territory, and inspection of their software and algorithms. Digital inter-connections, payments, authentication, cyber-security, etc, get mostly subject to global private law – under pro- big business arbitration – further curtailing the remit of domestic jurisdictions over global digital interactions. Prohibition against any border-crossing tax on commercial digital transactions would, in turn, debilitate the nation state’s finances in the digital era. Digital economy is not just a sector. It pervades and increasingly transforms all sectors – like the industrial society/economy paradigm did before it. As every sector and activity becomes digital, and infused with artificial intelligence, this proposed political economy and private governance framework for the digital will dominate all aspects of societies. It will increasingly upend the social contract that underlies the nation-state based mixed economy and welfarism for the last many decades. Digital opportunities, many believe, can bring unprecedented prosperity for all. But for this, digital governance must be based on principles of social justice and equity within and across societies. This is required even more in this formative period of the digital society. Quite the opposite is sought, however, through rules for global usurpation of the most valuable digital resource, and hamstringing national regulation. A few powerful businesses and governments plan to digitally control all social activities and economic sectors across the world. The omnipresent tentacles of the Internet, globally extracting granular data about every person and thing, underpin these new controls. The e-commerce chimera The biggest bluff of global e-commerce rules is how they get sold in the name of helping micro, small and medium enterprises in developing countries. So apparently, the new messiahs of small enterprises in developing countries are going to be a few US based global digital corporations, that monopolise e-commerce to take up to 40 percent commissions, abuse sellers’ and manufacturers’ data to manipulate them and/or replace their products by in-house ones, are most arbitrary and exploitative in their relationships with sellers/producers, and beyond national regulations to impose any fairness on their activities! Some developing country leaders get led to believe that global e-commerce simply represents a great expansion of the marketplace, opening more market opportunities for their struggling businesses. For one, expanded and more open markets are not necessarily better for their small businesses, an overwhelming majority of which deal in goods that are easily out-priced by global mass manufacturing centres like in China. The latter can now so much more readily penetrate even the remotest local markets. These leaders that are enthusiastic about global e-commerce perhaps need to first list the actual goods that their domestic businesses produce in a globally competitive manner! Artisan and other cultural goods tend to form the staple of the ‘global e-commerce for development’ rhetoric, but they constitute an extremely small part of any economy. Digitalisation can enhance efficiencies in every economic activity and layer of the economy. It is NOT digital efficiencies in the global trade layer that will bring the most immediate benefits to developing countries. It will simply expose their vulnerable economies and markets to endless exploitation. Developing countries need to first digitalise their domestic production processes, to produce globally valuable products cheaply. They must focus on developing domestic digital platforms. In short, they need to undertake digital industrialisation before they can benefit from global digital trade. To the extent that trade across borders also can stimulate industrialisation, and scale being important for the digital economy, developing countries should first collaborate among those with comparable digital development. The founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba, Jack Ma, himself considers e-commerce to be an outdated concept. This clearly underlines the fallacy of seeing e-commerce primarily as digitally-expanded marketplaces. What global digital platforms really do is to re-organise every sector employing data-based digital intelligence, and then control them in a monopolistic manner. Such controls tend to be very one-sided and highly exploitative, with deep lock-ins. This situation demands new kinds of digital regulation, and national frameworks mandating local ownership of data for nurturing domestic digital businesses. The proposed e-commerce rules pre-empt all such possibilities, which shows how their proponents know their game well into the future. Developing countries cannot simply hope that the benefits of their local producers getting new markets through global e-commerce will somehow outweigh the disadvantages of cheap products from mass manufacturing centres inundating their domestic markets. They would be equally misplaced to expect that global e-commerce rules will help the flourishing of their domestic digital platforms, where they already exist. The latter face quick annihilation as soon as global digital majors cast their eyes on the corresponding markets. India, which has been a little ahead of the curve among developing countries (other than China), has already seen its major digital platform companies unionise and seek government protection against global ‘capital dumping’. A reality check is needed for the chimera of ‘global e-commerce for development’ created by digital superpowers, with the support of some donor and international agencies. Resist digital colonialism Global business leaders from the South – like Bob van Dijk, CEO of Naspers, Africa’s biggest company; Anil Ambani, head of India’s largest business house ; and Nandan Nilekani, Chairman of India’s top IT company – have been warning against data and digital colonisation. Traders’ groups in many developing countries are holding protests, and local digital businesses are complaining, as they face being captured or wiped out by global digital corporations. Some developing country leaders, however, remain blinded by the lure of sitting at the high table with global digital business leaders, this time at the snow-white Davos. They keep hoping that these business leaders will somehow magically usher in the appropriate digital economy/ society in their countries. It would be useful to understand the future that dominant digital interests have in mind through the proposed e-commerce rules. Data flows unchecked from all countries to a very few global digital corporations, mostly in the US and some in China. Such expansive and minute data enables them to develop thorough real time digital intelligence about every sector and every single economic activity and actor. It would be as if the ‘brains’ of all physical activities and processes in all other countries are ‘outsourced’ to these few corporations. A complete cognitive lock-in and digital intelligence dependency soon sets the conditions for total economic and social domination. As it gets entrenched, future options for developing countries to ever extricate themselves also get foreclosed. In any case, as explained earlier, the proposed rules simultaneously de-fang key levers of national digital regulation, render digital relationships subject to global private law, and considerably squeeze the taxation base of the state. The choice of the Mecca of global business, WEF, for launching this potent new framework for domination of the world by a few digital corporations indeed rings of poetic appropriateness! We, the undersigned, call upon the people and the governments of the world to oppose this blatant attempt at a new elitist digital social contract which is nothing but one between the digital masters and the rest of us, laying out the rules of our digital servitude for all times to come. Let us claim our data, and our digital future, for ourselves! Just Net Coalition ……………………. ……………………. ……………………. This statement is open for endorsements by organisations and individuals till January 15th, 2019. Please send your endorsement, or any questions, to secretariat(a)justnetcoalition.org . Alternatively, you can endorse it online at https://data.justnetcoalition.org . 1Among others, the prominent author and public intellectual Yuval Harari recently employed the analogy across land, capital and data ownership. 2First developed as a part of the Trans Pacific Partnership trade treaty, its template of e-commerce rules has been repeated at all trade discussions that US and its allies get involved in, including at the WTO.

1 0