Africa Internet Governance Forum 2025

Democratic processes, especially free and fair elections, face a growing threat from disinformation. While complex, this issue is significantly driven by the design of commercial digital platforms—their attention-maximizing algorithms and targeted advertising systems are exploited by malicious actors and amplified by generative AI to manipulate public discourse.

Countering this requires not only promoting access to information as a public good but also enabling its effective use. Disinformation often thrives on low literacy and unequal access, but a further challenge lies in translating available data into actionable public knowledge. This necessitates robust collaboration among diverse stakeholders – fact-checkers, media, researchers, and civil society – to analyse data and make it accessible, fostering informed citizenship. Legal frameworks supporting data access and free expression, such as those in Africa, are foundational but require stronger implementation.
To proactively address these challenges, RIA and IMS are dedicated to building stakeholder coalitions capable of defending information integrity. This session aims to identify specific threats within the African information landscape and forge collaborative partnerships prepared to safeguard the electoral environment.

This session forms part of RIA and IMS's participatory research on effective media coalitions during elections, employing threat identification mapping similar to successful work during the recent Ghanaian elections. The findings will inform ongoing tracking, analysis, and research reporting.
The session also aims to contribute to stakeholder dialogues and a coordinated response to issues of electoral disinformation and information disorders broadly. We aim to awareness and build new alliances and networks on mitigating information disorders. RIA and IMS will publicize the session on organisation social media platforms as well as share a post session report capturing key issues from the session discussions.

Across Africa, the internet holds enormous potential to empower voices, enable democratic participation, and drive social change. Yet for many women and marginalized groups, digital spaces have become increasingly dangerous. The rise of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV); including online harassment, cyberstalking, non-consensual image sharing, deepfake attacks, and targeted disinformation—poses a direct threat to freedom of expression, political participation, mental health, and digital inclusion.

TFGBV is not just a gender issue, it is a governance failure, a cybersecurity risk, and a trust crisis. It thrives in environments where platforms lack accountability, laws are outdated or absent, and survivor-centered systems are underdeveloped. Its impact is not only personal, it shapes public discourse, erodes civic trust, and pushes women out of digital and political spaces.

This session brings TFGBV into the heart of the Internet Governance Forum agenda. It will examine how digital violence manifests across African contexts, why responses remain inadequate, and what is needed to build resilient, inclusive, and rights-respecting digital ecosystems. The session will draw on the expertise of legal actors, digital rights defenders, technologists, policymakers, and those directly impacted by online violence.

Rationale
TFGBV is a growing digital threat across Africa, silencing voices, deepening inequality, and undermining participation in civic and political life. Despite its scale, TFGBV remains overlooked in cybersecurity and internet governance frameworks, with limited legal protections and inadequate platform accountability. Addressing TFGBV is not just about safety, it’s about upholding rights, building digital trust, and ensuring inclusive access. This session brings TFGBV to the forefront of digital governance, calling for coordinated, survivor-centered responses to make Africa’s digital spaces safe and empowering for all.
Together, they will identify strategies to
1. Embed protection against TFGBV in cybersecurity and digital safety frameworks;
2. Advance multistakeholder collaboration for prevention, mitigation, and redress;
3. Design inclusive, survivor-informed solutions that center trust, justice, and dignity.

Session Objectives
1. Highlight the forms, drivers, and impact of TFGBV in African digital ecosystems;
2. Identify gaps in legal, institutional, and platform responses;
3. Showcase survivor-centered, context-aware approaches to digital safety;
4. Encourage multistakeholder actions to address TFGBV in internet governance discussions;
5. Promote alignment with cybersecurity, trust, and digital cooperation frameworks

Expected Outcomes
1. A shared set of recommendations for integrating TFGBV into internet governance and digital safety agendas;
2. Strengthened partnerships between gender rights defenders, digital policymakers, and tech stakeholders;
3. Documentation of best practices and survivor-informed strategies for response and prevention;
4. Increased recognition of TFGBV as a cybersecurity and trust issue, not just a social or gender issue.