Unwanted Witness

Founded in 2012, Unwanted Witness is a Ugandan-based civil society organisation that seeks to create secure, uncensored online platforms for human rights activists. It aims to contribute to good governance through effective online activism, networking and capacity-building. It also advocates for the strengthening of mechanisms related to freedom of expression and accountability.

Website

http://www.unwantedwitness.or.ug

News & Analysis

Unwanted Witness publish a briefing for election observers on the importance of privacy and data protection in the election cycle.

Uganda's Presidential election in January 2021 resulted in the incumbent President Museveni winning his sixth term in office, having held power for 35 years. The election took place amidst a global pandemic and the run up to election day was fraught. Violence left dozens dead and hundreds more

News & Analysis

A win for Unwanted Witness: Uganda’s data protection authority finds ride sharing app unlawfully disclosed personal data to third parties

Unwanted Witness’ research into motorcycle ride sharing app Safeboda, highlighting their failures to comply with data protection law, leads data protection regulator to take enforcement action.

Advocacy

Open Letter to Facebook and Google

Privacy International is part of a 60+ coalition calling on Facebook and Google to provide equal and better transparency regarding political advertising on their platforms globally.

A group of BodaBoda drivers wait for customers outside a shop in Kampala

Case Study

Huawei infiltration in Uganda

Unwanted Witness, our partner organisation based in Uganda, explore critical questions around Huawei's surveillance dealings with the Ugandan government raise. While Huawei's relationship with the government raises concerns for human rights, many of these concerns remain unaddressed.

Unwanted Witness - Government of Uganda must respect human rights in the use of Surveillance technologies to fight Coronavirus

22 Apr 2020

Our partners from Unwanted Witness in Uganda wrote a formal letter to the Ministry of Information Communications Technology and National Guidance demanding for strict observance of human rights for any intended use of surveillance technologies to fight COVID-19. In a letter addressed to the

News & Analysis

One Year On, what has Uganda’s Data Protection Law Changed?

Unwanted Witness, PI's partner in Uganda, reflects on what has changed since the adoption of the Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019.

Advocacy

Satire advert reading 8GBs of storage, 4GBs of unnecessary software

An open letter to Google

Privacy International and over 50 other organisations have submitted a letter to Alphabet Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai asking Google to take action against exploitative pre-installed software on Android devices.

Advocacy

Lettre ouverte à Google

Privacy International et plus de 50 autres organisations ont soumis une lettre au PDG d'Alphabet Inc., Sundar Pichai, demandant à Google de prendre des mesures contre les logiciels préinstallés sur les appareils Android qui exploitent les données des utilisateurs.

Long Read

Magnifying glass over social media icons and profiles

Data Privacy Week: Confronting the Corporate Gaze

The Privacy International Network is celebrating Data Privacy Week, where we’ll be talking about how trends in surveillance and data exploitation are increasingly affecting our right to privacy. Join the conversation on Twitter using #dataprivacyweek. It is no mystery that data exploitation is part

State of Privacy

State of Privacy Uganda

A study of privacy and surveillance issues in Uganda. The State of Privacy project was last updated on January 2019, unless otherwise provided on specific pages.

Advocacy

Advocating for Ugandans to be protected by the highest data protection safeguards

At the core of data protection debates, there is a power play between empowering individuals to control their data and empowering those who use (or want to) use their data. By regulating data processing, it provides avenues for individuals to exercise their rights if there is any unlawful

Advocacy

The Right to Privacy in Uganda

This stakeholder report is a submission by Privacy International (PI), Unwanted Witness Uganda, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) and the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP).

Reports and Analysis

Long Read