Assessing Internet Freedom and the Digital Resilience

Assessing Internet Freedom and the Digital Resilience

• 1.
  Network Measurements & Internet Freedom by MahmoodEnayat & Moses Karanja
• 2.
  Our Objectives ● Tomap the state of internet freedom across the East Africa region - specifically in Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and South Sudan. ● To explore the relationship between internet freedom, digital security, and the work of East African civil society. ● To begin to assess the relationship between internet infrastructure and internet freedom.
• 4.
  Using the African Declaration
• 5.
  Rating Digital Resilience
• 6.
  Network Measurements //Key Findings ● Using the network-monitoring tools OONI Probe and Centinel on selected ISPs in the four countries, we tested for censorship and surveillance for 90 days between 1 December 2016 and 28 February 2017. ● Using the data collected, we classified the findings to get a better understanding of how information controls in the research countries compare. ○ ‘Websites Blocked’ captures the total number of websites that are unavailable on the networks tested during the research period. ○ ‘Middle Boxes Discovered is the cumulative instances in which we detected internet traffic manipulation tools on the tested networks.
• 7.
  Network Measurements //Key Findings 0 9 9
• 8.
  What Are MiddleBoxes?
• 9.
  Governments, ISPs andInformation Controls
• 10.
  Lessons Learnt Positives Huge demandfor evidence-led work on Internet, public policy and human rights. Mobile network testing now a possibility. Negatives Very few volunteers for this kind of research. Self-censorship affects commentary of results from affected organizations
• 11.
  Recommendations Improved monitoring tools:Research quality depends on consistency of many moving parts. Intuitive data analysis functions a clear need in the ecosystem: Access to raw data still limited to technical researchers. More investment in this research: volunteers to host probes, ISPs and business community to support researchers and other relevant partners. The health of the Internet affects all of us.
• 12.
  Conclusions ● This reporthas demonstrated the necessity for civil society to mobilise itself in defence of internet freedom across East Africa. ● There is a clear need to continue to establish and foster a strong digital security community that CSOs can turn to to receive training and support. ● Private sector stakeholders will be central to the struggle for freedom of expression online - they are the ones who ultimately will be responsible for enforcing any internet control mechanisms.