Emma Okonji
A digital rights platform called Ripoti, that was designed for the protection of the rights of all African citizens, has been launched by Paradigm Initiative.
The platform aims to fight the worrying trend of increasing digital rights violations across Africa.
It was Launches during the closing session of the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum 2021, held recently.
Ripoti allows citizens across Africa to report violations of their digital rights, then connects them with experts who can help them seek justice.
Explaining the benefits of the platform, the Director of Paradigm Initiative, Mr. Gbenga Sesan, said: “Digital rights are just as fundamental as all other human rights. We have seen a worrying increase in digital rights violations across Africa. Until now, citizens have had no easy way to protect their rights by tracking and reporting these violations. Ripoti empowers them to do that.”
“The digital world has become a critical space for economic activity, access to emergency services, and the exercise of freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
“But there are growing instances of cyber bullying, online gender violence, internet censorship, or the illegal use or accessing of an internet user’s information, a trend emboldened by health surveillance during the pandemic,” Sesan said.
According to him, “With the Covid-19 pandemic pushing many more people online, many of the vices and violations that used to exist only offline have now started to crop up in the digital space, including violence against women, the illegal use of user information, the violation of e consumer rights, and more.”
Senior Program Manager at Paradigm Initiative, Boye Adegoke, said: “For many years, Paradigm Initiative has actively documented cases of digital rights violations and offered litigation support to victims. “Eventually, we started to get overwhelmed by the number of violations we had to monitor. It became clear that we needed to create a communal, strategic, and systemic response to these many incidents of digital rights violations. Ripoti is the answer, and we’re excited to share it with people across Africa,” he added.
A growing number of Africans are using Information and Communications Technology (ICT) on a regular basis, which has made digital technologies critical to the enjoyment of their rights and improvement of their livelihoods. However, many governments have taken steps to undermine internet access and even encroach on civic participation and the right to freedom of expression online. Some countries have also cracked down on human rights defenders or journalists who challenge the state authorities.
