Monthly Newsletter - August 2026
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Dear Reader,
What if everything you have known to be true turns out to be false? For many, this is no longer just a hypothetical question. As Artificial Intelligence (AI) rapidly transforms our digital world, distinguishing fact from fabrication is becoming increasingly difficult. Deepfakes, stolen identities, cloned accounts and AI-supported cybercrime are creating new threats to the trust we place in the digital spaces we increasingly depend on. A recent warning from INTERPOL further highlights the urgency of the moment. Technology continues to open new possibilities for access, participation and the exercise of digital rights. But these gains cannot be taken for granted. This edition is a reminder that as we embrace the possibilities of our digital future, we must also remain vigilant, informed and actively engaged in protecting the rights and freedoms that make that future worth having.
Key Highlights
• AI-driven cybercrime is exposing Africa’s urgent digital security gap • Four days in Monrovia, more digital rights conversations • Cameroon is bringing more women online, but it must make those spaces safe too
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Monthly Newsletter - August 2026
• Measurement, Accountability and Tackling Internet Censorship • From Tanzania to Cameroon: Discussing digital policy across Africa
News
Events
Discussing Africa
AI-driven cybercrime exposes Africa’s urgent digital security gap With more than half of reported cybercrime in Africa now reportedly enabled by artificial intelligence (AI), the continent is entering a new era of digital crime, one that requires a stronger, more coordinated response. The latest findings from the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) show that cybercriminals are already exploiting AI at scale, highlighting the growing sophistication of threats facing African countries. The findings come shortly after a new report by Paradigm Initiative (PIN), which underscores the urgent need for greater understanding of AI, its capabilities and the risks associated with its use. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in both legitimate and criminal activities, the developments raise broader questions about whether Africa’s regulatory and digital security frameworks are keeping pace with the technology, and whether governments can respond to emerging threats without compromising fundamental digital rights.
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On August 4, Paradigm Initiative was in Tanzania for another edition of the Digital Policy Engagement Series (DIPES), bringing together policymakers, civil society, academia, the private sector, and other key stakeholders to explore the policies shaping the country’s digital future. This was followed by another DIPES engagement in Cameroon on August 18, examining the implementation of the country’s data protection law two years later.
Measurement, Accountability and Tackling Internet Censorship As restrictions on online freedom become more frequent worldwide, evidence remains one of the strongest tools for accountability. This was the basis of the Net Rights Coalition’s August 12 webinar themed ‘Measurement and Accountability in Tackling Internet Censorship.’ It provided an opportunity to explore how measurement could strengthen advocacy, influence policy, and improve responses to internet shutdowns and censorship.
Monthly Newsletter - August 2026
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Weekend Read Cameroon is bringing more women online, but it must make those spaces safe too
Four days in Monrovia, more digital rights conversations From September 15-18, 2026, PIN will participate in a coordinated series of engagements in Monrovia, Liberia, held in conjunction with the 3rd Annual Mano River Union (MRU) Internet Governance Forum 2026. The series brings together legal practitioners and parliamentarians from across the Mano River Union (MRU) region, comprising Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire, to strengthen judicial resilience, advance digital legislation, and build durable relationships between Paradigm Initiative (PIN) and key regional policymakers. The engagement runs across four linked components. Check out details on our Event calendar.
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Monthly Newsletter - August 2026
Across Cameroon, women are increasingly participating in public discourse and decision-making spheres. With it being increasingly common to see more female representation and progressive legislation being passed. This progress is by no means an accident and reflects decades of deliberate investment and advocacy by stakeholders to ensure that women and other historically underrepresented groups can thrive. But there remains a growing challenge that often eludes the public gaze due to its sometimes deceptive nature and threatens to undermine these gains, as Communications Officer Giyo Ndzi outlines in the latest blog post.
Closing Learning Gaps Through Inclusive Digital Connectivity We opened the month of August by joining the rest of the Globe to mark the 2026 World Wide Web Day, a reminder of how the web has transformed the way we learn, create, and share knowledge. Yet for millions, meaningful access to the web and the educational opportunities it unlocks remains out of reach. In his latest blog, Ihueze Nwobilor, Senior Programmes Officer at Paradigm Initiative, explores why inclusive digital connectivity is essential to closing learning gaps and ensuring no one is left behind. Read the full blog post here.
Impact Unpacked: Let us talk numbers… the fun ones How do you tell the story of an entire year in a few numbers? At Paradigm Initiative, we look not just at the numbers but also at the fact that every number represents a person, a decision, a conversation, a challenge overcome or a defended digital right. So, here are five numbers that tell part of our 2025 story. 11 - Active strategic litigation cases Across five countries, PIN’s strategic litigation portfolio grew to 11 active cases. In Nigeria, we also secured a landmark privacy and data protection ruling. 721 - Young people reached through our Life Skills, ICTs, Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship (LIFE) Legacy initiative. Across 12 countries, 721 young people gained digital skills, confidence and knowledge to exercise their rights in digital spaces. 638 - University students engaged through DRIBLE Sometimes, the best way to learn about digital rights is to make learning a little more fun. The Digital Rights and Inclusion Board Learning Experience (DRIBLE) board game reached 638 university students across five countries. 23.8 million - People reached on social media From digital rights explainers to short films, campaigns and conversations, PIN’s
communications reached more than 23.8 million people. 18.6 million - Views across five short films Training Day, Focus, Finding Diana, Undersight and Whispers in the Wires… Together, PIN’s five short films reached more than 18.6 million viewers by the end of 2025. But numbers only tell half the story. Behind the numbers are young people building new skills, people whose rights are being defended, and meaningful conversations about the kind of digital future we want.
This is just the beginning. Read the full Annual Impact Report. Forecast: The faces behind the number.
Plan your month with Paradigm Initiative. • September 8: Parliamentary Roundtable on Digital Rights and Governance in Uganda • September 9: East Africa Digital Rights Litigation Training • September 15: Digital Rights Academy (DRA) Liberia • September 17: Parliamentary Track – Day 1, Mano River Union Internet Governance Forum (MRU IGF 2026) • September 18: Liberia School for Internet Governance/ Policymaker Engagement Day • September 20: Mano River Union Internet Governance Forum 2026 Check out our events calendar updated about our activities
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Letter to Ajegunle
Before it becomes official Dear Ajegunle, Do you remember the feeling as kids whenever our parents returned home after being away for a while? The moment you heard the gate open, you were gone, running straight into their arms like you hadn’t seen them in years. Sometimes, you didn’t even wait for them to put their bags down. You would eagerly grab their bag as you tried to divide yourself between fighting for their attention to recount your day and checking what was in their bag for you. And if your favourite parent was the one coming home? Ah, Ajegunle, you already know. One would think the atmosphere would have been similar when Le Continent’s 001, as some online media like to call him, finally returned home last week, after his brief long stay abroad. A 200-man team was mobilised by state media to paint the picture and well… let’s just say it still wasn’t quite the childhood reunion we remember. But enough about that. Huku tuko poa, as they would say in Kibera. There is joy on this side, and for good reason. While the Digital Rights 6
Monthly Newsletter - August 2026
and Inclusion Forum (DRIF) never really ends, it has its quiet moments, its busy moments, and then those periods when everything suddenly comes alive. And if our sources are anything to go by, DRIF27 came early this year. The first signs are already here. Calls for session proposals, opportunities for shortfilm producers and other activities leading up to DRIF27 are set to start dropping in the coming days or perhaps even hours. No official announcements yet, of course, but Ajegunle, you know we like to bring you the gist before it becomes official. After all, he who peels groundnuts for a blind man has to keep whistling lest his transparency comes under doubt. Dear old friend, of course, we cannot take leave of you without recommending some gbedu that reminds you of our good days together. Today’s pick is Olufunmi by Nigerian R&B and pop musical group, Styl Plus. It was released in 2003 as a single before making their debut studio album, Expressions, in 2006. May the vibe and unforgettable lyrics usher you into the new week and new month. Duro ti mi, Ajegunle. Until next time. We are still walking. Yours truly, The PIN Fam Letter to Ajegunle is a new segment of the PIN newsletter dedicated to the vibrant town of Ajegunle, where Paradigm Initiative’s journey began. Through these letters, we celebrate our roots, reflect on our growth, and share the stories of change that have come from these streets to communities across Africa.
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