Ugandan youth embrace tech in business, fall short on digital rights

What the report says

The Observer reports that many young Ugandans are using digital tools to cope with limited formal job opportunities, but often do so without a strong understanding of digital rights or business-related legal duties. The report cites unemployment at 12.2% and says youth entrepreneurs are relying on mobile phones, WhatsApp Business, Facebook, digital payments, product photography and online storytelling to find customers, process orders and grow small enterprises.

At a High-Level Multistakeholder Dialogue on Business and Digital Rights, Mark Peter Sseggiriinya of Bounderless Minds presented findings from a survey of 130 Kampala businesses run by people under 25 and employing up to five workers. According to The Observer, only 29% of the businesses surveyed were familiar with laws affecting online operations. The gaps included awareness of data protection, privacy, consent in sharing phone numbers, and laws such as the Computer Misuse Act, the Data Protection and Privacy Act, and the Electronic Transactions Act.

The report also highlights concerns beyond Kampala. In Wakiso, officials said parents had raised objections to schools using children in TikTok promotional videos without consent, while community engagements showed many residents had little prior exposure to the idea of digital rights. Some local authorities in Makindye, Wakiso and Mukono were said to be considering or pursuing digital-rights provisions in local rules.

Government and development actors linked the issue to wider digital governance. Luarianne Comard of the European Union Delegation to Uganda said businesses need to treat data protection, cybersecurity, online safety and inclusion as corporate responsibilities, alongside EU support for rights-related work. Ambrose Ruyooka from the ICT ministry said Uganda is also assessing how to regulate artificial intelligence, including through a national taskforce and possible legal updates, while avoiding rules that unnecessarily hinder innovation.