Beyond the Consumer: Shaping Africa’s Voice in Tech Accountability and Human Rights

The growing integration of technology into daily life presents significant challenges for accountability, especially as governments and tech companies navigate the complex task of balancing freedom of speech with ethical practices. One of the primary challenges is how government-tech partnerships in Africa, often framed as tools for development or security, frequently operate with a lack of transparency and accountability. However, these partnerships frequently operate without adequate oversight, creating fertile ground for human rights abuses, particularly in contexts where regulatory frameworks are weak and civil society organizations (CSOs) have limited influence to demand greater transparency, equity, and justice. To address this, this policy brief examines the systemic obstacles to achieving tech accountability, focusing on the impact of government-tech company collaborations and the ways that this can contribute to Africa’s relegation to the role of a consumer market rather than an active participant in innovation. It calls for a reimagined approach to tech accountability, one rooted in human rights, inclusive governance, and ethical principles. This can be achieved by emphasizing the need for co-creation processes involving government, CSOs, tech companies, and local communities to design and develop technologies that serve the region’s needs and values, not just the market.