Tag: social media
Using “full” SANDF uniform to advertise birthdays is a no-go
A new use for what the national defence force calls “full uniform” has emerged from Gauteng’s Vaal Triangle, prompting a strong response from the...
‘Digital authoritarianism’ threatening basic rights in Africa, study says
From internet shutdowns and online surveillance to social media taxes and arrests for anti-government posts, “digital authoritarianism” is a threat to basic freedoms and...
ISS: Uganda’s social media battleground is not just an African trend
Elections are a reminder that free speech must be weighed up against information warfare when considering restrictions.
In the earlier days of Ugandan Yoweri Museveni’s...
Ugandans lose voice, digital rights in pre-poll blackout
Uganda’s ban on social media days before presidential elections shows a rattled president flexing power over the Internet at the expense of free speech...
Uganda orders all social media to be blocked – letter
Uganda ordered internet service providers to block all social media platforms and messaging apps on Tuesday until further notice, a letter from the country’s...
ISS: Kidnapping in South Africa: rely on data not social media
Statistics on the motives for kidnapping and who is most at risk are both surprising and concerning.
Few crimes strike fear into South Africans as...
UCT cyber analysts uncover campaign to promote xenophobia on Twitter
There is a coordinated attempt to manipulate conversations with a xenophobic tone on South African social media platforms, analysts from the Centre for Analytics...
Countering the extremist message
Radio shows, WhatsApp groups, after-school programs and even comic books take aim at radical groups
The social media app TikTok is aimed at teenagers, who...
Egypt jails five women influencers over TikTok posts
An Egyptian court sentenced five female social media influencers to two years each in prison on Monday after finding them guilty of promoting immorality...
Uncontrolled use of social networks a security risk for the SANDF
The uncontrolled use of social media networks poses security risks to the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and other military forces, according to...
Fringe groups undermine democracy via social media
Social media has become a hotbed of extremism, used to undermine democracy, a think tank said, calling for reforms to restore trust in government...
Social media and political ads
Online platforms face growing pressure to stop carrying political ads with false or misleading claims ahead of the US presidential election.
In the US,...
Morocco silencing dissent
Morocco is increasingly using detention to stop political dissent on social media, a committee of local rights activists said, citing a wave of arrests...
FF+ also seeking action against hate speech major
An SA Army major who allegedly used social media for hate speech and was "lightly rapped on the knuckles" for his actions...
Social media asked to control platforms used to lure African migrants
The UN migration agency wants social media giants to make it harder for people smugglers to use their platforms to lure West...
Zimbabwe’s social media revolt yet to take root in rural areas
Deep in Zimbabwe's drought-stricken rural district of Chiredzi news of the biggest protests against President Robert Mugabe in a decade reached Peter...
UK, US talk tough on web freedom at cyber talks
Britain and the United States strongly rejected calls from China and Russia for greater Internet controls at a major conference on the...
Shock image threshold falls under Internet pressure
The threshold for publishing gruesome images like those of Muammar Gaddafi's death is falling as the Internet and social media make many...
Social media – a political tool for good or evil?
After the "Arab Spring" surprised the world with the power of technology to revolutionize political dissent, governments are racing to develop strategies...
Most Asian nations realizing Internet cannot be tamed
It's not just dictators. Governments around the world, many of them popularly elected, have tried for years to control the Internet and...
UK social media controls point to wider “info war”
British Prime Minister David Cameron's flirtation with the idea of social media censorship controls after recent riots might only be the beginning.
With...
Social media show limits as Egypt elections loom
Egyptians who turned to Facebook and Twitter to galvanize their revolt against Hosni Mubarak are starting to wonder whether faith in social...