From Biz Tech Africa

Freedom House launched the 2013 edition of Freedom on the Net on October 3, 2013 which has established that Malawi is ‘partly free’ when it comes to internet Freedom.

The launch event which was held at Google’s headquarters in Washington, DC and was streamed live on Freedom House’s YouTube page established that Traditional and online media restrictions relaxed under President Joyce Banda, who assumed the presidency in April 2012 following the death of President Bingu wa Mutharika.

The research findings also captured the May 2012 the National Assembly decision to repeal Section 46 of the penal code that had empowered the information minister to ban any publications deemed “contrary to the public interest”.

It also captured Malawi’s draft E-Bill that was introduced in October 2012 and aims to implement a legal framework for regulating ICTs.

Under ‘Violations of User Rights’ the report also captured government’s plan to implement a so-called “spy machine” meant for monitoring mobile phone companies that was struck down by a court in late 2012 but sanctioned by parliament in mid-2013.

Read more at Biz Tech Africa.