International Reports Indicate Nepal’s Poor Performance in Digital Space
Nepal finds itself at the bottom of the digital quality of life rankings among South Asian nations, holding the 94th position in the Digital Quality of Life (DQL) index. This ranking has remained unchanged from the previous year. The DQL index, conducted by cyber-security company SurfShark, assesses the digital well-being of 121 countries based on five key pillars: internet quality, internet affordability, e-security, e-infrastructure, and e-government.
Data from the report indicates that Nepal faces notable challenges in the realms of e-security and e-government, resulting in a weak overall category rating. Particularly concerning is the country’s vulnerability in data security, making it difficult to draw favorable comparisons. Nepal is placed 103rd position in online services within e- governance category, and it ranks 111th in terms of AI readiness. On a positive side, Nepal stands out for its excellent broadband affordability, ranking 39th globally, and impressive internet quality, securing the 23rd position, both surpassing global averages.
Nepal also fared poor in another report released this week. A report prepared by Nord VPN has positioned Nepal at 119th place worldwide in the realm of cyber security and internet privacy awareness. In South Asia, with the exception of Maldives and Bhutan, all other countries have outperformed Nepal in this regard, with neighboring India ranking among the top 15 nations. The report also highlights that a limited number of Nepalis possess the skills required to create robust passwords and safeguard sensitive data on social media platforms and web browsers.
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G20 leaders calls for global governance for AI
G20 leaders, gathered in India earlier this week, emphasized the importance of enhancing global collaboration and continued dialogues concerning international governance of Artificial Intelligence. They advocated for the establishment of a secure, trustworthy, and inclusive Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) that respects human rights, safeguards personal data, privacy, and intellectual property rights. This DPI was seen as a means to enhance resilience, facilitate service delivery, and drive innovation. Additionally, the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ declaration expressed approval for the G20 framework designed for Digital Public Infrastructure systems, a voluntary and recommended framework aimed at guiding the development, deployment, and governance of DPI.
Bagmati Province Contemplates Cyber Crime Control Act
Ganga Narayan Shrestha, the Minister for Internal Affairs and Law in Bagmati Province, Nepal, has revealed plans for the enactment of the Cyber Crime Control Act. During a discussion event centered on drafting the cybercrime control bill in Hetauda on 7 September, Minister Shrestha emphasized that the bill’s refinement would involve consultations with experts and the incorporation of suggestions from the discussion. It is interesting to note that the provincial governments are taking initiative for cybercrime law whereas the Information Technology Bill introduced by the federal government a few years back is yet to get a priority. Legislation on cybercrime is primarily under the domain of the federal government and this process requires a comprehensive consultation with the stakeholder. Thus, DRN is concerned about this new development in Bagmati Province.
Israeli Pegasus Spyware Exploits Apple Device Vulnerability: Watchdog
Researchers from Citizen Lab, a digital surveillance watchdog, have uncovered a significant revelation linking Israeli company NSO’s spyware to the exploitation of a recently discovered vulnerability in Apple devices. This discovery emerged during an investigation involving an Apple device owned by a Washington-based civil society organization employee. Citizen Lab confirmed the exploitation of this flaw, leading to the compromise of the device with NSO’s Pegasus spyware. Bill Marczak, Senior Researcher at Citizen Lab, emphasized the seriousness of the situation, citing forensic data from the targeted device that strongly implicates NSO’s Pegasus spyware in the hacking operation. This finding underscores ongoing challenges in digital security and highlights the critical need for continuous efforts to protect personal data and privacy.
China Unveils Ambitious Three-Year Metaverse Development Plan for Digital Economy Growth
China has introduced a three-year action plan aimed at propelling the development of the metaverse. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), in collaboration with four other departments, has unveiled this comprehensive plan. It outlines specific measures to drive the metaverse industry’s innovation and growth from 2023 to 2025. The objectives of the plan include the development of cutting-edge metaverse technologies and industrial systems. By 2025, the plan envisions a successful metaverse encompassing technology, industry, applications, and more, ultimately making the metaverse a pivotal contributor to the digital economy’s expansion.
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Advancing Evidence-Based Policy-Making at Municipal Level
On 11 and 12 September 2023, Digital Rights Nepal, in partnership with Data for Development and Open Knowledge Nepal, conducted a two-day event at Tulsipur Sub-metropolitan City. The event was organized to advance evidence-based policymaking by harnessing both legal and technical tools for effective data management. Throughout the event, collaborators and officials from Tulsipur Sub-metropolitan City explored various aspects of data management and conducted a thorough assessment of the Integrated Data Management System (IDMS) rolled out last year in the sub-metropolitan city. Similarly, on 13 September, DRN hosted an event at Suddodhan Rural Municipality to advocate for evidence-based policymaking by leveraging legal instruments for effective data management. During the event, representatives from Suddodhan Rural Municipality, along with partners, discussed the necessity of enacting laws and policies to ensure proper data management and the utilization of such data in the process of evidence-based policymaking.
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Event
Digital Rights in Nepal
Digital rights and democracy face a new threat in Nepal with the passage of the 2023 National Cyber Security Policy last month. The policy establishes a legal and structural foundation for cyber security in Nepal, but some of its provisions are a cause for concern for human and digital rights. With the policy, Nepal seems to be on the path of becoming a surveillance state and planting the seeds of digital authoritarianism. Join for a conversation dissecting the policy and how its control-oriented approach poses risks to democracy and digital rights.
Date and time: September 29, 2023 (Friday), 3PM Bangkok time (UTC+7)
Meeting Room: Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 867 3393 8813
Passcode: 501413
Guest Speakers: Santosh Sigdel is the Executive Director of Digital Rights Nepal and Samik Kharel is a researcher, journalist, and academic based in Kathmandu, Nepal.
To register: DRAPAC Series: Digital Rights in Nepal – EngageMedia
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Publication
India’s Digital Governance ‘Model’ Fails on Rights
India, a global digital economy leader, emphasizes its digital transformation achievements during its G20 presidency. Indian leaders highlight technology’s role in improving governance, making it more efficient, inclusive, faster, and transparent. Prime Minister Narendra Modi sees an opportunity to build an inclusive, prosperous, and secure global digital future through initiatives like Digital Public Infrastructure, focusing on financial inclusion and productivity.
However, the dark side of India’s digital transformation, marked by frequent internet shutdowns, raises concerns. India has the highest number of internet shutdowns in the past five years, with Manipur state facing a prolonged blackout amid ethnic violence. Although fixed-line internet was eventually restored after 83 days, mobile internet, crucial for over 96 percent of users, remains inaccessible.
This report prepared by Human Rights Watch highlights the violation of digital rights in India.
Full report: Human Rights Watch
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Digital Rights Weekly is a week-based update on Digital Rights and ICT issues, that happened throughout the week, compiled and analyzed from the digital rights perspective by Digital Rights Nepal (DRN). DRN is a not-for-profit initiative dedicated to the protection and promotion of digital rights, including the right to online freedom of expression and association, online privacy, access to information, and related issues such as internet governance, cyber laws/policies, and cyber securities in Nepal.
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