The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has issued a public notice stating that persons residing in the country who wish to publish information online must be licensed by October 5th
The move is a repeat of the last general elections and the latest blow to the right to freedom of expression in Uganda ahead of the 2021 elections. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, guidelines were issued in June restricting public gatherings for electoral processes, this meant that election campaigning would only be allowed through media and social media platforms.
“The requirement for people to seek authorisation before posting information online is retrogressive and a blatant violation of the right to freedom of expression and access to information. With restrictions on public gatherings already in place, the Ugandan authorities are shutting off a vital channel for people to express their political opinions and share critical information about COVID-19,” said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southern Africa.
“Freedom of expression does not need a license.”
The Communications Commission cited Section 27 of the 2013 Uganda Communications Act, among others, which prohibits broadcasting content without a broadcasting licence. By applying this law to those sharing content on the internet and on social media platforms, the authorities are effectively criminalizing the right to freedom of expression online.
The regulations cited are overly broad and ambiguous and do not even differentiate between media broadcasting and communications between allies.
“These vague regulations will turn social media into minefield, with users likely to find themselves on the wrong side of the law and may face prosecution simply for expressing their views. The Ugandan authorities must do away with these requirements and amend laws that are promoting online censorship. They should respect, protect, promote and fulfil human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression, association, and access to information,” said Deprose Muchena.
The 2016 Ugandan general elections took place amidst a government-ordered social media shutdown that European Union election observers said were “unreasonably constrained freedom of expression and access to information”.
Just before those elections, the UCC had directed Uganda’s main communications providers to block access to social media platforms for “national security” reasons, which had not been defined.
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