Both laws were passed after the 2021 political unrest that had gripped the country. These laws are believed to have been created to counter opposition groups mobilising on Facebook. The cyber law was criticised for having loopholes which could be used to persecute critics instead of its official application of protecting citizens from cybercrime. The Data Protection Act is generally in line with international best practices, but as a fairly new law, time will tell if the necessary laid out procedures are followed. In terms of surveillance, the state uses its security agencies to spy on critics, without any checks and balances. Mobile service providers are at the mercy of the state and are compelled to implement internet shutdowns once instructed, there could be a possibility that the kingdom also compels them to share information about subscribers. Eswatini last implemented an internet shutdown during pro-democracy protests in 2021. GENDER AND THE MEDIA Culture plays a strong role in the way women are treated and reported on since societal expectations are that they play a differential role. Sexism and gender violence against women and children are rampant and can be regarded as an inevitable outcome of a deeply patriarchal and sexist society, rooted in structural violence against the most vulnerable in society in general. Power relations between men and women are highly unequal. The condition of women also finds expression in the media space. Inasmuch as the editorial face of certain publications has women, the structural fact is that the patterns of ownership and influence have not shifted from men who preside over the Eswatini media, in real terms. For instance, none of the publications, including online, are owned by a woman, from the print publications such as Times of Eswatini and Eswatini Observer, to the online publications. However, credit must be given to the Eswatini media in general for reporting about genderbased violence (GBV) issues, to the point that there is a huge public debate as to whether or not the government should declare GBV a national disaster.(8) References ESWATINI: TENSIONS, SELF-CENSORSHIP RIFE IN MEDIA LANDSCAPE (1) Eswatini Events of 2022: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2023/country-chapters/eswatini-formerly-swaziland (2) Eswatini https://monitor.civicus.org/country/swaziland/ (3) Eswatini https://www.afrobarometer.org/countries/eswatini/ (4) Journalist a terrorist? How anti-terrorism laws constitute a threat to fundamental human rights in Eswatini https://www.southernafricalitigationcentre.org/2022/07/06/ journalist-a-terrorist-how-anti-terrorism-laws-constitute-a-threat-to-fundamental-human-rights-in-eswatini/ (5) Reporters Without Borders – Eswatini: https://rsf.org/en/country/eswatini (6) eSwatini declares editor Zweli Dlamini and Swaziland News ‘terrorists’ https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-07-04-eswatini-declares-editor-zweli-dlamini-and-swaziland-news-terrorists/ (7) Eswatini Events of 2022: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2023/country-chapters/eswatini-formerly-swaziland (8) Eswatini Deputy Prime Minister refuses to declare Gender Based Violence(GBV) a national crisis amid growing cases http://www.swazilandnews.co.za/fundza.php?nguyiphi=3631&fbclid=IwAR3xXbWlKaMb7Vc6yItSAvVab6vEDebm7qRBl0CL6NRREaJNodd72l26etM 41