Online attacks against Uganda's LGBTQ communities have drastically increased, owing to overly broad laws that criminalise various aspects of the lives of LGBTQ people and entrench discrimination, Amnesty International said in a new report published today.
The report - "Everybody Here Is Having Two Lives and Phones": The Devastating Impact of Criminalisation On Digital Spaces for LGBTQ People in Uganda - is based on research across six Ugandan cities and neighbouring areas, including 64 interviews with LGBTQ people and organisations.
The research reveals widespread patterns of technology-facilitated gender-based violence against LGBTQ people in Uganda. It documents cases of doxing, outing, threats of violence, blackmailing, impersonation, hacking and disinformation - further marginalising LGBTQ people, especially those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds - and highlights not only the failure of state authorities to prevent or address these abuses, but also their active role in encouraging and condoning them, exposing LGBTQ people to grave human rights abuses.
The Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023, in particular, has fostered a climate of impunity for attacks against LGBTQ people, forcing both individuals and organisations to significantly alter how they present themselves and engage with people online.
Amnesty has documented numerous instances where police have seized devices or data of LGBTQ people by threatening them with arrest and found cases where both police and members of the general public have used social media platforms to connect with LGBTQ people before targeting them with physical violence and blackmailing. Blackmail was the most prevalent form of technology-facilitated gender-based violence noted across all locations.
Shreshtha Das, Amnesty International's Gender Researcher, said:
"Our research shows that, while LGBTQ activists and organisations have continued to use digital spaces in a very hostile environment, the stigma, violence, and discrimination they face in offline spaces has been mirrored and amplified in digital spaces."Technology-facilitated gender-based violence has devastating consequences for LGBTQ people, as online targeting can result in offline consequences, including arbitrary arrests, torture and other ill-treatment, forced evictions, dismissal from work, exposure to offline violence, as well as stress, anxiety and depression."
A 'witch hunt'
LGBTQ people and organisations in Uganda rely on digital platforms to connect with their communities, share information about sexual health services, and protect their rights.
The prevalence of technology-facilitated gender-based violence has severely limited the possibilities for LGBTQ people to access, communicate and come together in digital spaces, while also hindering the outreach efforts of many organisations.
Those providing health services to marginalised groups have been forced to avoid advertising their services online, fearing that the authorities could arbitrarily suspend their registration based on spurious accusations of "promoting homosexuality".
Marco Perolini, Amnesty International's Civic Space Policy Advisor, said:
"Instead of adopting policies to combat technology-facilitated gender-based violence, the Ugandan authorities have clamped down on human rights defenders and organisations, placing discriminatory restrictions on their work. Their acts amount to a witch-hunt against those perceived as "promoting homosexuality", creating a chilling effect on the rights to freedom of expression and association."
Prejudicial laws worsening homophobia and transphobia
While technology-facilitated gender-based violence against LGBTQ individuals was common in Uganda before, its severity and prevalence have surged since the passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023, which has intensified homophobic and transphobic public discourse.
All interviewees told Amnesty that they would not report technology-facilitated gender-based violence to the police due to fears of being outed, blackmailed or arrested. In the few instances when LGBTQ people reported cases, the police failed to take any action and instead subjected them to further humiliation.
Roland Ebole, Amnesty International's Uganda researcher, said:
"Nowadays digital spaces, which are so vital for LGBTQ people in Uganda, are often no safer than offline spaces -- they are experiencing discrimination and violence in both."
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LGBTQ individuals and organisations said that reporting cases of technology-facilitated gender-based violence on social media platforms remained challenging. They often did not know how to report abuses. In spite of social media platforms' policies to address technology-facilitated gender-based violence, concerns remain regarding content moderation, especially in widely spoken local languages other than English.
Out of all the organisations Amnesty wrote to - including various government authorities in Uganda, private organisations, and social media companies (Meta, TikTok and X) - only Meta and TikTok responded. Their responses have been reflected in the report.
Amnesty's calls
Amnesty is calling on the Ugandan Parliament to immediately repeal the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 and other laws that criminalise acts and behaviours that disproportionately impact LGBTQ people.
The authorities must also establish an independent mechanism to conduct effective, prompt, impartial, and independent investigations into allegations of technology-facilitated gender-based violence and other human rights violations committed against LGBTQ people.
