Shetechtive Uganda blog

Uganda’s digital rights landscape has entered a significant new phase following the Constitutional Court’s decision to nullify key provisions introduced through the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, 2022. The decision, delivered in March 2026, has important implications for freedom of expression, journalism, access to information and the way online communication is regulated in Uganda. At the same time, recent efforts by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and the Judicial Training Institute to strengthen judicial understanding of digital evidence show that Uganda’s justice system is continuing to adapt to the growing complexity of digital communication and technology-related disputes. The Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act was passed by Parliament on 8 September 2022 and received presidential assent on 14 October 2022. The amendments subsequently became part of the Computer Misuse Act, 2023 Edition. Several of the amended provisions attracted concern from journalists, civil socie...

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...