LITIGATION, ADVOCACY AND LOBBYING
ABOUT PROGRAMME
Advocacy, Litigation & Lobbying:
The Advocacy, Litigation, and Lobbying Programme plays an active
role in advocating for access to information, freedom of expression, and the
responsible flow of information to the public. We encourage a fair and just
society in which the public, media, and the powerful, respect a culture of
human rights, and promote the development of a free, fair, ethical, and
critical media culture in South Africa, and the rest of the continent.
We do this by responding to public calls for submissions on law and policy, undertaking strategic litigation, and engaging in on/offline advocacy and lobbying processes that relate to the triad of information rights, including the right to privacy, freedom of expression, and access to information.
Submissions:
As we promote the ideals of equality and inclusion, we’ve responded to public calls for submissions on issues pertaining to internet access, online content regulation, cybercrime, copyright, public broadcasting, and children’s rights. In addition, we’ve proactively conducted research and produced discussion documents to stimulate and/or enhance the debates and conversations relating to these issues. These documents are then used as advocacy tools and campaigns for public awareness.
Cases & Outcomes:
These are some of the litigation cases we’ve undertaken and been involved in, in various ways, including amici curiae. We undertake these matters to promote access to information, uphold and protect citizens’ rights to privacy and freedom of expression, and ensure effective independent public broadcasting, which reinforces our other programmatic activities.
Real411
Real411 is an online platform intended to address online harms, including mis- and disinformation, hate speech, harassment, and incitement to violence. It was launched in 2019 and serves as a publicly accessible platform that enables members of the public to report their concerns about different online harms. Real411 seeks to strike an appropriate balance between the right to freedom of expression, and the need to tackle harmful online content.