Across West Africa, the rapid enactment of cybercrime legislation has often prioritized state security over individual human rights. Anchored by a newly published Paradigm Initiative policy brief, this session uses Sierra Leone’s Cybersecurity and Crime Act of 2021 as a critical case study to examine this regional trend.

While the Act establishes frameworks for digital infrastructure, its reliance on highly subjective and vague terminology—such as criminalizing "annoyance" or "insulting" behavior online—has created loopholes that are increasingly weaponized against civic actors, journalists, and everyday citizens. Furthermore, the current framework critically fails to protect vulnerable groups from severe online harms, notably online gender-based violence (GBV).

Drawing directly from the findings and recommendations of the published brief, this session will convene civil society actors, legal experts, and policymakers to advocate for a paradigm shift. Discussions will focus on moving away from ambiguous cyber-control mechanisms toward a comprehensive "Online Safety Act," identifying specific legal amendments, and establishing frameworks that genuinely protect human beings in the digital civic space without stifling freedom of expression.