Change Makers What motivated you to become an advocate for Internet freedom in Africa, and how did you get started? What progress have you seen in the expansion of Internet freedom in Africa over the past ten years? I started my journey with a passion for media and for youth. In those days, I was not sure how these merged, but I was interested in youth development and thought digital media was a great means. Then I came across a job advert with an organization empowering young people through digital technologies and I felt that aligned strongly with my passion and skill set, so I applied and joined the organization as its Chief Operating Officer. I was later immersed in the policy side of the conversation within a few months of joining, realizing that if we did not have the right policy environment, it would not be possible for tech and innovation to thrive in the country. About this time too political leaders in the country began to call for restrictions online, realizing the power of the Internet for civic participation and demanding accountability. It’s been a journey of both good things and not-so-good things. For instance, Internet access has improved greatly in the last 10 years on the continent, but much of the world’s unconnected population still lives in Africa. Social media has greatly improved access to information and freedom of expression as well as greater civic and political participation more broadly, but in response there has been a wide spate of Internet shutdowns in African countries and legal frameworks with concerning provisions around mass surveillance and censorship. In 2014, the African Union (AU) Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection adopted a legal framework for addressing cybercrime and data protection in Africa. It took nine years to come into effect, with the 15th ratification by Mauritiana happening on 9th May 2023. So the convention came just in June 2023. In 2014, the African Union (AU) Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection adopted a legal framework for addressing cybercrime and data protection in Africa. 40 A CIPESA Series