Shetechtive Uganda blog

Across the world, identity verification is no longer optional. From fintech to social media platforms, and even civic services, proving who you are online has become a regulatory requirement. Governments and companies argue that this strengthens trust, reduces fraud, and improves accountability. But there is a growing tension. As identity checks expand, so do the risks to privacy, security, and digital rights. For communities like those Shetechtive serves, especially women and marginalized groups, these risks are not abstract. They can translate into surveillance, exclusion, and real-world harm. The challenge now is not whether identity verification should exist, but how to implement it responsibly. When compliance becomes a risk surface Regulation often forces platforms to collect more personal data than they otherwise would. This includes national IDs, facial recognition scans, phone numbers, and sometimes even biometric data. While the intention may be legitimate, the outcome ...

Uganda’s digital landscape has entered a defining moment. The Constitutional Court’s decision to declare the Computer Misuse Act null and void is not just a legal development. It is a turning point for how rights, freedoms, and responsibilities are understood in the digital age. For years, the law shaped how Ugandans interacted online. Its removal now opens both opportunities and questions that demand careful reflection. At its core, the Court found that Parliament enacted the law in a way that contravened the Constitution. This ruling goes beyond technical legalities. It reaffirms the principle that all laws, especially those regulating expression and technology, must align with constitutional protections such as freedom of expression, privacy, and due process. For a country where digital spaces are increasingly central to civic participation, this judgment carries deep significance. For ordinary Ugandans, the immediate impact is a shift in how online expression is treated. The...

Uganda’s music industry is entering an important moment. This week, Parliament began discussing changes to the country’s copyright law. The proposed amendments could change how musicians earn money from their work. For many artists, this discussion has been a long time coming. For years, musicians in Uganda have complained that their songs generate money for many businesses but not for them. Songs are played on radio, television, in bars, on streaming platforms and as caller ringback tones on mobile phones. Yet many artists say they receive little or no payment. The new bill aims to address some of these concerns. The proposal seeks to update the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act . This law currently governs copyright protection in Uganda. The amendment would introduce stronger systems for collecting royalties and sharing revenue with artists. One area receiving attention is the money generated from caller ringback tones used by telecom companies. Lawmakers want to ensure that ...

When we talk about digital safety for activists, the conversation often jumps straight to encrypted messaging apps or strong passwords. These are important, but underneath all of that sits something more basic and often ignored, the IP address. Your IP address is one of the first and most powerful pieces of information you give away every time you go online. It is quiet, invisible, and deeply political. An IP address is simply a numerical label assigned to your device when it connects to the internet. Think of it as a return address for your online activity. When you visit a website, send an email, or post on social media, your IP address helps data know where to go and where it came from. This is how the internet works. But it is also how tracking begins. Most organizations can see your IP address when you visit their websites. This is not always malicious. Websites use IP addresses to prevent spam, manage traffic, and understand where users are coming from. In countries where civ...

From January 13 to January 26, 2026 , Uganda experienced a government-ordered restriction on internet services surrounding its general election. Initially imposed two days before voting, the shutdown affected nearly all public internet access including social media, messaging apps, web browsing, and critical online tools. The shutdown was gradually lifted over the following days, with some platforms still limited as of January 26 despite restoration of Internet services. ( Anadolu Ajansı ) During this period, the internet was not just an optional convenience; it was a core part of Uganda’s economic infrastructure. Millions of Ugandans rely on mobile money for daily transactions, from paying for transport to buying food and receiving wages, and on the internet for business communication, logistics, e-commerce, and service delivery. When connectivity was suspended, these digital lifelines were abruptly broken. ( Human Rights Watch ) Economic Costs: Who Paid and How Much The financ...

In any democratic society, the media plays a central role in documenting events, informing the public, and supporting access to justice. When credible media institutions fail to report on human rights violations, especially during elections, this omission is not neutral. It actively weakens accountability, distorts public memory, and limits victims’ pathways to justice. In contexts like Uganda’s recent elections, media silence has become a structural barrier to human rights protection. Research on media freedom under authoritarian and semi-authoritarian governments shows a clear pattern. States rarely rely only on outright censorship. Instead, they use regulatory pressure, licensing threats, advertising control, intimidation of journalists, and selective access to information to direct narratives. The result is not always loud propaganda, but quiet omission. Violations happen, but they are not recorded by institutions that are considered credible, authoritative, or admissible in lega...

  In the early evening of January 13, 2026 , as millions of Ugandans were preparing to finalize their thoughts and engage in one of the most consequential elections in recent history, the government quietly flipped a switch that plunged our digital world into silence. At 6:00 pm , the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) ordered a nationwide internet shutdown , cutting off public access to the web and silencing the online voices of citizens across the country . This was just two days before the January 15 general election . ( TheStar ).  This was not a technical glitch. This was an intentional blackout.  See the exact shutdown directives at the end of the blog.  A Country Cut Off at a Critical Moment The shutdown was not partial or isolated. It blocked mobile and fixed-line services , including social media platforms, messaging apps, and VPN access that many citizens rely on to communicate, stay informed, and share eyewitness accounts. ( TheStar ) For a nat...

Written by Rebecca Nanono Introduction Across today’s digital platforms, algorithms promise personalization, relevance, and convenience. However, beneath this promise lies a growing risk. When algorithms repeatedly serve users more of the same content , they can intensify polarization, amplify harmful ideologies, and accelerate pathways to radicalization. For digital rights advocates, feminists, and social justice actors, this is not just a technical flaw. It is a structural governance problem with deeply gendered and political consequences. How Algorithmic Repetition Works Most social media and content platforms rely on engagement-optimizing algorithms . These systems learn from users’ digital footprint such as clicks, likes, shares, watch time, and comments, then prioritize content that maximizes attention. Over time, this creates the following. Feedback loops , where users are repeatedly exposed to similar views Echo chambers , limiting exposure to altern...

A look at AI filters, bias, exploitation and what Africans can do about it By Rebecca Nanono, Contributor Introduction Artificial intelligence systems ,from generative text to face filters on apps , are only as smart as the data they are trained on. That means the billions of images, videos, recordings, messages, and internet activity that exist online influence how AI understands the world . And increasingly, African digital content , especially from young, creative users is being sucked into global AI models . This is not just a technical issue but a digital rights and power issue . In this blog, we explore the following. How African data fuels AI Why African women’s images and voices often appear in AI systems The risks of this dynamic What communities and policymakers can do The Data Behind the AI Curtain Modern AI systems, like those powering TikTok’s face filters or global large language models (LLMs), rely on large datasets drawn fr...