Africa Policy and Advocacy Manager Naro Omo Osagie explains the looming threat of anti-encryption policies

Many governments frame encryption as a threat to national security, while experts show this is not the case

AI pic of person using laptop for designing

The regulatory policy governing encryption in some African countries, rather than protecting populations, tends to favor restricting and prohibiting its useImage by freepik

Published on:

Oct 14, 2025, 18:45

Updated on:

Oct 14, 2025, 18:45

This story by Jean Sovon originally appeared on Global Voices on 14 October 2025

The protection of citizens’ privacy online is often intertwined with issues of national security in Africa. One solution that can help circumvent digital threats is encryption, where readable data is translated into an unreadable format, protecting people's privacy and ensuring sensitive information is hidden from unauthorized access. However, even as it is one of the safest, most essential cybersecurity practices, encryption faces several restrictions or is outright banned in many African nations.

Many countries on the continent have laws governing digital use and privacy protection. With some notable exceptions, such as Mozambique and Algeria, most countries in Africa utilize anti-encryption policies and can force citizens to share their encrypted files without a guarantee of privacy or due process.

The regulatory policy governing encryption in some African countries, rather than protecting populations, tends to favor restricting and prohibiting its use. Any citizen who refuses to cooperate with public authorities or to hand over encryption codes while their use is prohibited is liable to penalties. In Benin, the penalty is between USD 886 and USD 35,460 and imprisonment between six months and five years; in Malawi, it is USD 6,307 and seven years in prison; in Ethiopia, the law provides for between USD 2,251 and USD 3,376 and a prison sentence of 10 to 15 years. Given these steep penalties, citizens are not protected against various digital threats: hacking, harassment, stalkers, and targeting by the authorities.

Few people are aware of the protection offered by data and chat encryption. One reason for this is that African media offers little coverage of encryption and threats in digital spaces. Global Voices interviewed Naro Omo-Osagie, Africa Policy and Advocacy Manager at Access Now, at the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa, held in Windhoek, Namibia, from September 24 to 26, to discuss the issue of encryption and digital security.

Jean Sovon (JS): Why is it so important for the media to cover encryption?

Naro Omo-Osagie (NOO): Encryption is ultimately about our safety and privacy, both online and off. The way that the media covers encryption is important. The reason is because when anti-encryption policies are proposed by governments, governments usually frame these policies in support of national security, child online protection, and many times the dominant narrative is that of the government. If you allow that to be the only story, to be the single story, then everyone who is engaging with this topic only knows the narrative that the government is presenting, which is that encryption is dangerous for national security. Technology researchers, civil society, human rights organizations including Access Now have shown this is incorrect. So it's important that the media presents an objective story based on facts, and the only way to do that is to cover human rights and civil society perspectives. This is the work of privacy lawyers, privacy advocates, encryption experts, who actually explain that encryption makes us safer. Encryption helps protect our security both online and offline. Encryption is important for privacy, and privacy is a human right. Our cybersecurity efforts are what keep us safer online: It's the right to be sure that when I send you a message, you receive that message, you receive the exact message that I sent to you, and it only goes to who I want it to go to without a third party interfering or having access to it. It's also connected to our rights to freedom of expression, because in order to express myself freely without the fear that authorities or others can read my messages or manipulate them.

JS: Why are these governments’ narratives opposing encryption so prevailing?

NOO: For a very long time, the dominant story has been the government's narrative that encryption undermines national security. This is the knowledge that media people retain about encryption. So there's a lot of work for us to do as privacy advocates to challenge and address this narrative. It starts with supporting media education, journalist training, helping journalists understand the technical aspects of encryption, helping them understand the privacy concepts, and the human rights justifications for encryption. Of course, I don't imagine it will be easy.

JS: So what advice do you have for the media to better engage with this issue?

NOO: The first would be, and I think this is a general principle of media coverage and reporting anywhere, is to always present an objective story based on facts, not based on government patronage. One should challenge what the government has said. Really ask yourself, what are the other positions? What do civil society and human rights groups say about these policies? Is there an alternative narrative that we need to consider in our reporting? That is the first step. As a media organisation, as a journalist, ask yourself: Is there anybody I can talk to who may have an alternative perspective? As far as possible, you should present an objective and objective story that is based on facts, that is based on research that has been done by human rights organisations, research that has been done by technical cybersecurity experts that show how encryption works, that show how encryption protects all of us, and see how this sits with the narratives that government has shown.

(NS)

Suggested Reading:

Taylor Swift New Album 2025: “The Life of a Showgirl” Shatters Records and Sparks Internet Frenzy

Subscribe to our channels on YouTube and WhatsApp

press freedom

Digital Privacy

advanced encryption