Civil Society Group Kicks against Deployment of Tech to Suppress Freedoms, Invade Privacy

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Spaces for Change (S4C) West Africa yesterday cautioned against the deployment of technology by governments to suppress civil freedoms as well as the invasion of citizens’ privacy.

In her opening remarks at the West Africa Civil Society Week 2024, organised by the organisation in Abuja, Executive Director, S4C, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, stressed that while technology can be used for good, it’s also associated with certain risks.

At the event which was themed: “Leveraging Technology for Civic Engagement and Social Change in West Africa”, Ibezim-Ohaeri explained that the topic had never been more timely or critical.

“Today, we gather not only to reflect on the vast potential of digital technologies but to explore how these innovations can be harnessed to enhance public accountability, governance, and the protection of civil liberties.

“Over the next two days, we will engage in key discussions on technology governance, artificial intelligence, electoral integrity, public sector accountability, regional mechanisms, media freedoms, youth activism and the critical intersections between these issues and the civic space in West Africa.

“Yet, as we embrace the promise of technological innovations, we must also remain conscious of their dual-use nature. While technology offers powerful tools for progress, it also presents significant risks, particularly when used to suppress civic freedoms, invade privacy, or stifle civic participation.

“At Spaces for Change, we have been committed to addressing these risks through research evidence and an array of digital rights initiatives, ensuring that civil society and human rights defenders are well-equipped to navigate and counter these challenges,” she added.

She noted the organisation published its first-ever research that extensively examined the types of surveillance technologies imported into Nigeria, mapping the supply chains, and the implications for human rights and the civic space in Nigeria.

The report, she said, provided ample evidence of the nature, scale and extent of importation of surveillance technologies going on in the country.

“We also documented how surveillance technologies imported for combating criminal threats have been used both positively as well as for other purposes unrelated to security.

“These include the arbitrary monitoring and surveillance of citizens and activists, tracking the activities of civic actors online, intercepting private communications, censoring online free speech and restricting the ability of citizens to speak, assemble and associate freely,” she added.

Separately, in a press statement by the organisation, it stated that colonial practices laid the foundation for the current surveillance architecture, arguing that in pre-colonial Nigeria, colonialists used warrant chiefs in the 1920s for surveillance of local populations.

Military rule, the group argued, magnified the state’s appetite for surveillance and the encroachments on personal privacy.

“Countries like Israel, China and United States are top suppliers of the technologies imported and often arbitrarily used in Nigeria. Their most popular technologies diverted, misused or applied arbitrarily in Nigeria are C4i (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence).

“Also used are Hacking Team and FinFisher; Remote Control System (RCS); GSM Tracking System; Digivox, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) using Proxy Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and virtual private networks (VPN); International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) Catcher; Wise Intelligence Technology (WIT); biometricand Data,” the organisation said.

Other speakers at the event included: The Executive Director, West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), Dr Nana Afadzinu; Regional Director, Ford Foundation, West Africa Office, Catherine Aniagolu-Okoye; Nigerian lawmakers; Africa Director, MacArthur Foundation, Kole Shettima, among others.