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New legislation criminalizing some internet activity was signed into law by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni recently. The law seeks to increase restrictions in a controversial 2011 law on the misuse of a computer
New legislation criminalizing some internet activity was signed into law by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni recently. The law seeks to increase restrictions in a controversial 2011 law on the misuse of a computer.
The legislation proposes jail terms of up to 10 years in some cases. That includes offenses related to the transmission of information about a person without their consent as well as the sharing or intercepting of information without authorization. The International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), called the law “a blow to online civil liberties” and regressive.
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A highly punitive penalty has been prescribed for the offence such as the imprisonment of up to five years, a fine of up to UGX 10 million (US$ 2,619), or both. The Committee to Protect Journalists urged Museveni to veto the bill, noting its potential to undermine press freedom. The bill was passed by the legislature in September and brought by a lawmaker who said it was necessary to punish those who hide behind computers to hurt others. The lawmaker’s plea is that the right to privacy is being affected by the abuse of online and social media platforms through the sharing of unsolicited, false, malicious, hateful, and unwarranted information.
