Spaces for Change | S4C, with support from the New Venture Fund, organized a 2-day workshop on “Ethics, Rights, and Threats of Emerging Technologies” in Enugu State, Nigeria. S4C organized this high-level workshop in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force – National Cybercrime Center Abuja (NPF-NCCC) and the South Saharan Development Organization on December 11-12, 2024. Eighty (80) senior detectives, crime investigators, law enforcement officers from diverse security agencies and civil society organizations attended the workshop where they took a very deep dive into the ethics, best practices and human rights principles governing the application of new technologies to combat increasingly sophisticated crimes.
The advancements and access to a vast array of new technologies have created opportunities for newer modes of threats and crimes perpetrated both online and offline. Consequently, Nigeria is witnessing a surge in cybercrimes and other illegal activities carried out on the internet such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, revenge porn, ransomware attacks, business email compromise (BEC), identity theft, social engineering, and phishing. Nigeria loses an estimated $550 million annually to cybercrimes, with financial institutions, such as banks and fintech companies, bearing significant losses. Just as criminals are expanding the frontiers of lawbreaking, security agencies, on the other hand, are also deploying technological tools with strong analytical capabilities to anticipate, detect and mitigate risks. They are investing in surveillance, artificial intelligence, and machine learning technologies and deploying them to monitor, detect, investigate, deter and repel criminal activities.
At what point does surveillance cross from lawful to unlawful? How can security agencies infuse human rights principles, including strong privacy safeguards into their law enforcement and crime-fighting obligations? What are the ethical values and practices undergirding the deployment of new technologies in Nigeria? How can law enforcement authorities conduct mass and targeted policing of the territory without shrinking the civic space whether offline or offline? Over the two days, experts from agencies and civil society delved very deeply into these issues, navigating the complex interplay of technology, rights, and security.
Participants learned about the legal frameworks and principles governing digital rights; privacy and data protection principles governing cybercrimes, criminal investigations, arrests, seizure of electronic evidence, interception of private communications and surveillance; convictions and operational restitution measures; and surveillance technology and civic space. In addition, participants confessed to gaining profound knowledge regarding the proliferation of dual-use technologies (DUTs), their deployment, and regulatory challenges in Nigeria. The presentations generated deep debates, conversations, experience-sharing and commitments to adopting new policing strategies rooted in human rights and respect for civic freedoms. At the close of the workshop, participants received certificates of participation. Elated participants described the workshop as “profound”, “eye-opening”, “groundbreaking”, “mind-shifting”, “innovative”, “superb”, amid others.
In sum, while emerging technologies offer opportunities for innovation and growth, they also pose significant challenges to human rights and national security. Addressing these challenges requires a multi-stakeholder approach involving government, corporations, civil society, and individuals. Comprehensive legal frameworks, robust enforcement mechanisms, and continuous public awareness campaigns were identified as key components of a sustainable digital ecosystem. The workshop underscored the need for Nigeria to adopt proactive measures to harness the benefits of technology while safeguarding the rights and freedoms of its citizens. The workshop ended on a resounding note, with participants commending S4C and its partners for creating a platform to address these critical issues. They also shared a deeper understanding of the intersection between ethics, rights, and technology. The insights shared will undoubtedly inspire actions toward safeguarding digital rights, enhancing cyber security, and ensuring ethical technology deployment in Nigeria.