Telecom firms giving Africans fewer digital rights than Europeans

Major European telecoms companies are providing lower levels of digital rights such as transparency and consumer protections to countries in Africa than in European markets, according to Slate’s comment on a new study, Droits Numeriques en Afrique Subsaharienne: Analyses des Pratiques D’Orange au Senegal et Safaricom au Kenya (in French), by Internet Sans Frontières (Internet Without Borders). Daniel Finnan of RFI notes that the research report assesses respect for freedom of expression and privacy, ‘concluding that users in Europe are treated differently to those in sub-Saharan Africa’. Finnan includes an interview Julie Owono, Executive Director of Internet without Borders, which details specific information from the study about how Safaricom and Orange operate differently in Europe than they do in Africa. The interview covers points about terms of service, Internet shutdowns, and privacy considerations, among others.