By: Lina Amutenya
The Institute for Public Policy and Research (IPPR) says journalists and their sources could easily be traced when mandatory sim card registration and data retention are enforced.
This was said by IPPR researcher Fredrico Links during a discussion regarding the law’s potential threats to media freedom in Namibia.
According to Links, the media fraternity will not appreciate the potential impact of what’s immerging to be implemented next year on media freedom.
“The implication for journalists and media news organisations is that journalists and their sources could be easily tracked and located,” he said.
The sim card registration conditions in Namibia result from regulations issued in Part 6 of Chapter V of the Communications Act (No. 8 of 2009) as published in the government gazette in March 2021.
All Namibians are now required to register their cellphone numbers by 1 January 2023.
He added that confidential and anonymous sources would be identifiable, and whistleblowers could potentially dry up if people know that their phones are being tracked.
“Then people who blow the whistle on various things might be corruption could be disappointed knowing that they are easily identifiable, adding that journalists contacts would be instantly identifiable and located.
“Anybody connecting to journalists is accessibly located, knowing that mass surveillance is happening could contribute to widespread journalistic self-censorship, undermining the news media’s watchdog,” he said.
Links also observed that sources would be hesitant to speak to journalists.
“This is a real threat knowing that we are all under a surveillance dragnet drawer many people even if there is a public interest.”
He said potential sources could be identified for harassment, intimidation or silencing before providing information to journalists.
He further said this is happening in other parts of the world, where people protest and the leaders of the protest were traced down and taken to place and harassed.
“This could happen under mandatory sim card and data retention scheme such as being implemented in Namibia. However, journalists have to consider going forward as we move towards implementing the regulations,” he adds.
Links describes the threat factor as weak oversight, transparency and accountability mechanism and the lack of independent national security and law enforcement.
Meanwhile, Namibian Sun editor Tovio Ndjebela says this is a new development in the country and is a global phenomenon for security and other reasons.
“There are those wrong ones that eavesdrop on journalists and citizens most of the time. Journalists are transparent in their work, and the challenge is whistleblower and source as well as how to give information and their exposure to high risk,” said Ndjebela.
Namibia Media Professionals Union (NAMPU) secretary for information and mobilisation, Charmaine Ngatjiheue says to a certain extent, it can threaten freedom of expression because journalists are going to have fear of interception.
“It might just exacerbate that fear. Journalists might even think that our calls are being recorded, and our freedom of expression will be limited even though it is in the constitution,” she said.
She explained that the mandatory sim card registration would affect journalists’ work.
“Because now those journalists who don’t have smartphones might surfer, especially trying to keep the identity of your source a secret. This is the biggest fear for every media practitioner and media house. The biggest risk is mainly to the government sources who try to expose their employers. They are at risk of being victimised,” Ngatjiheue.
When The Villager reached out to the ministry of information, communication and technology, its executive director Audrin Mathe said the bill doesn’t make an exception for anyone and will apply equally to everyone.
The gazetted rules said telecommunication service providers like MTC and Paratus are compelled to store information related to clients’ telecommunications for five years.
Telephone numbers and other customer identification details, such as date, time and duration of the telecommunications and internet protocol addresses, would be recorded.
The regulations also stipulate that telecommunication companies obtain every customer’s name, address and identification document.
If the customer is a company, it should provide information such as its registration number, business address letterhead, and information identifying a company representative.
Previously, the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) CEO Emilia Nghikembua said operators would not use the stored call data records, which they will keep for five years, to spy on individuals.
Meanwhile, ICT minister Peya Mushelenga had said that registering sim cards will prevent illicit dealings and criminal activities that threaten national security or personal safety.
