“Register or Face Shutdown” – UCC Issues Ultimatum for Online Communication Services

All online data communication service providers in Uganda, including online publishers, news platforms, radio and telephone operators will be required to register with the communications regulator, UCC has announced.

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), has issued a directive that all the online services apply and obtain authorization from the regulator or else measures will be taken against them.

The unprecedented communication is contained in a March 6, 2018 public notice issued by UCC setting out a deadline of April 2, 2018 to register or in default, disciplinary measures be taken against them.

“The purpose of this public notice therefore, is to inform all persons currently offering or desirous of offering online data communication services, that in exercise of its powers under Section 6 (e) of the Uganda Communications Act 2013, the Commission classified online data communication services as communication services for which one requires authorization from the Commission,” read the notice signed by Godfrey Mutabazi, the UCC Executive Director, which was published in some of the dailies.

It adds; “Online data communication service providers, including online publishers, online news platforms, online radio and telephone operators are therefore advised to apply and obtain authorization from the Commission”.

According to the notice, UCC, will after April 2 embark on the enforcement activities against all non-complaint providers of online data communication services and this may entail directing internet service providers to block access to such websites or streams.

“Hence, under the Uganda Communications Act 2013, the provisions of any services that involve the communication to the public of any content, whether by way of audio, video, sound, still or moving pictures or a combination thereof, is a communication service that is subject to regulatory control of the Commission,” the notice further states.

It is unclear how the affected online services will react to the directive. Although Uganda is not an exception from the increasing global threat of fake news, some are already concerned that the effect of the latest notice by UCC could frustrate efforts to create local content. Others say the regulation is vague and inconsistent with the liberties of internet users to create content.

Anne Whitehead, a communications consultant in a reaction to the notice tweeted asking; “UCC, are you saying that every business website, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube platform, etc. in Uganda has to be registered with you or you’ll shut it down? Have you thought about what this could cost us in local content creation? Why do this?”