Africa’s persistent digital divide deepens political inequities

CIPESA's 2024 State of Internet Freedom in Africa report examines the interplay between technology and elections.

This statement was originally published on cipesa.org on 27 September 2024.

The Collaboration on International ICT Policy has launched the 11th edition of the State of Internet Freedom in Africa report. This year, the report examines the interplay between technology and elections in Africa during the so-called Year of Democracy, when at least 20 African countries were scheduled to go to the polls.

While highlighting the growing influence of technology in elections, the study documents that much of the deployment has been characterised by risks and pitfalls where the majority of authoritarian governments have selectively deployed technology to entrench their power.

The increase in Internet and mobile phone penetration rates in recent years and the adoption of technology in electoral processes such as the use of biometric voter registration and verification applications by different governments,  raised a the promise of better electoral outcomes due to the anticipated increased transparency, efficiency and affordance that technology would lend to the electoral processes, especially in 2024. However, in reality, many countries have failed to fully realise these benefits.

The study, conducted across several countries in Africa included interviews with experts in digital rights, electoral democracy, and technology. It was complimented with g literature reviews, legal and policy analysis resulting in a broad perspective on the intersection of technology and elections in Africa.

 Key Findings from the report, including the following:

• Democratic Governance is Under Siege: There is a significant decline in the state of democratic governance in Africa, with growing authoritarianism, coups, hereditary presidencies, weakened oversight institutions, political instability, and restricted political competition. The persistent failure to address corruption, social divisions, and economic inequality continues to undermine electoral integrity and public trust. In these contexts, political elites manipulate elections and exploit historical tensions and unresolved economic grievances to maintain power, thus eroding public trust in the democratic foundations necessary for fair and fair elections.
• Intensification of Digital Authoritarianism: Digital authoritarianism is a growing concern in Africa as governments continue to deploy a combination of tools and tactics of repression, such as internet shutdowns, censorship of news outlets, targeted surveillance, and regressive laws to limit civic participation and suppress dissent. These practices have a significant social and economicimpacts resulting in  an environment where technology and democratic processes can be exploited to undermine democracy rather than strengthen it.
• The Persistent Digital Divide is Deepening Political Inequalities and Exclusion: Africa’s digital divide remains a significant barrier to inclusive political participation, with rural, underserved communities and marginalised groups disproportionately affected. High internet usage costs, expensive digital devices, inadequate digital infrastructure, and low digital literacy compound political inequalities, thus limiting citizens’ ability to engage in political discourse and access critical electoral information. In the year of elections, such a disconnect is profound.
• The Rise of AI-Enabled Disinformation Narratives: The study underscores the growing threat of misinformation and disinformation, particularly AI-generated content, in shaping electoral outcomes. AI tools were used in countries such as Rwanda and South Africa Rwanda to create deep fakes and synthetic media, manipulating public perception. Social media platforms have been slow to address this issue, and where they have, the approaches have not been uniform across countries. Disinformation campaigns can make it difficult for voters to access credible information, stifle democratic participation online, and erode citizens’ trust in democratic processes.
• Progress and Innovation in the Use of Technology during Elections: The study has established the progress in the adoption of technologies in Ghana, Namibia, and South Africa for voter registration, results tallying and transmission, voter education, and engagement. Despite challenges in deployment, these technologies have the potential to improve electoral transparency, efficiency, and accountability. Also notable were the various initiatives to combat disinformation, build solidarity for good governance, and increase access to election information.

The study concludes that the continent is at a crossroads as the use of technology in Africa’s 2024 elections presents both promises and pitfalls. On the one hand, technology has the potential to improve electoral transparency, promote citizen engagement, and ensure credible elections. On the other hand, the misuse of digital tools by authoritarian regimes, combined with the digital divide, the rise of disinformation, and declining constitutional governance risks undermining the democratic process. Governments, election management bodies, and civil society must work collaboratively to safeguard digital rights, promote digital inclusion, and build robust frameworks for the ethical use of technology in elections.

Secondly, while technology played a central role in the 2024 elections in several countries, one of the highlights has been the use of AI in ways that illuminate both its promises and dangers for electoral integrity and democracy. Clearly, few African countries have adopted the use of AI in elections, and this holds true for various election stakeholders, such as election observers, political parties, candidates, and Election Management Bodies (EMBs). Nonetheless, in the few countries studied where AI was adopted, some positive results could be discerned. Still, even in those countries where elements of AI were adopted, they were small-scale and did not fully exploit the promise that AI holds for enhancing the efficiency and transparency of elections.

Five Key Recommendations Emerged from the Report:

1. Strengthen protection for digital rights: Countries should adopt progressive legal and policy frameworks that safeguard digital rights, protect privacy, entrench transparency and accountability in the technology sector, and govern the use of technologies, including artificial intelligence, in elections.
2. Demand accountability: Civil society organisations, the tech community, media, and academia should leverage their watchdog role to document digital rights abuses, educate and raise awareness on the importance of internet freedoms, data privacy, AI governance, and their role in elections, in order to enable them to demand accountability from platforms and governments.
3. Address the digital divide: The study proposes wide investments to expand internet access, especially in marginalised and underserved areas, together with measures to reduce the cost of access, the promotion of digital literacy, and building resilient digital infrastructure.
4. Combat disinformation: Joint efforts bringing together social media platforms, election bodies, fact-checkers, civil society, academia, and media should be encouraged in efforts to combat disinformation.
5. Innovate election tech: Election management bodies should adopt transparent processes in the design, development, and deployment of election technologies, including disclosing independent audit and impact assessment reports, facilitating election observation, and independent monitoring of election technologies to promote and maintain public trust.

Find the report here.