Digital platforms abused to violate rights and undermine freedom

The allegations contained in the latest report by Open Secrets - a South African non-profit organisation exposing and building accountability for private sector economic crimes - accusing SA mobile networks of aiding foreign governments’ suppression of mass protests by switching off the internet, raise pertinent questions about the impact of the digital revolution on the state of democracy in the Global South.

- Ido Lekota

According to the report, MTN and Vodacom have been colluding with repressive governments in countries such as Eswatini, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Sudan to violate the human rights of millions of protesters by shutting down telecommunication networks thereby disconnecting the citizens from the world.

The report underscores the urgent need to examine how the digital revolution impacts democracy, especially in regions where authoritarian regimes exploit digital tools to suppress dissent. Digital sovereignty, which refers to the ability of a nation, organisation or an individual to control their digital environment - including data, technology and infrastructure - has become a pivotal concept in this discourse. It encompasses data sovereignty, which focuses on control over data production, storage and processing in compliance with local regulations, and technological sovereignty, which emphasises autonomy in managing digital technologies such as hardware, software and networks.