The Senate of Australia is currently considering the 2021 Online Safety Bill. In our letter to the Minister of Communications and subsequent analysis, we call for a set of amendments that could allow Australia to model strong, participatory governance to successfully address legitimate concerns around online harms while protecting human rights.
GNI share concerns from the government of New Zealand about how best to act on and deter illegal content online. However, GNI urges the government to reconsider requirements for content filtering in the FCPVA, and ensure any new authorities for mandating removal of content include robust safeguards, mechanisms for appeal and redress, and appropriate oversight.
In our response to the European Commission's open feedback period on its draft for the DSA, GNI recommends revisions to the governance structure, liability scheme, and categories of intermediaries, among others, to ensure the protection of fundamental rights.
Authored by Tomiwa Ilori of the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, the report surveys experts and practitioners from eleven countries in Africa where the Internet was disrupted for 1144 days total between 2011 and 2020.
Recently notified IT Rules in India, which follow a previous draft GNI commented on in early 2019, continue to pose significant risks for freedom of expression and privacy. Read GNI's letter to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and corresponding analysis of the Rules.
Given the severe social, economic, and human rights consequences that the draft cybersecurity law is likely to have on both users and companies inside the country, GNI calls on the Myanmar military to withdraw and reconsider the law.
We call on government authorities in Myanmar to immediately restore full network connectivity, reverse orders blocking social media sites, and refrain from issuing further orders or putting pressure on internet and telecommunications companies that contravene the country’s international human rights law commitments, including the freedom of opinion and expression and privacy.
After the Internet was shut down ahead of the Jan 14 general elections in Uganda, ongoing disruptions targeting digital communications platforms continue, proving detrimental to information access and daily livelihoods, in addition to social, economic, educational, and political engagement. We encourage the government to restore access immediately.
GNI calls on the government to rescind the Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content Rules, engage in proper consultation, and consider GNI's recommendations for rights-enhancing regulations.
In a letter to UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan, GNI raises concerns about ongoing restrictions on digital communications in Myanmar, including network disruptions, website blocking, and efforts by governmental actors to manipulate social media platforms.
