By Kei Emmanuel Duku
An opposition legislator, Elizabeth James Bol, delivered a strong rebuke to the Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA) yesterday, declaring the proposed Cyber Crimes and Computer Misuse Bill 2025 is “long overdue” but fundamentally flawed.
James, representing the SPLM-IO Women’s League from Warrap State, took to the floor during the debate, insisting the bill must be significantly amended to safeguard privacy, ensure gender responsiveness, and provide financial redress for the wrongly accused.
Bol also said that “South Sudan lags behind its East African neighbors, all of whom have established cybersecurity legislation,” Her most urgent demand centered on making the Bill explicitly gender-responsive.
James highlighted that South Sudanese women are disproportionately vulnerable to online abuse, citing persistent issues of cyber-harassment and bullying. “The legislation must contain specific provisions to safeguard women against these forms of gender violation,” she emphasized.
Furthermore, she was inflexible that the Bill must strictly uphold the constitutional right to privacy as outlined in Article 22 of the Transitional Constitution. James warned that state surveillance or unwarranted access to personal data would be unacceptable, calling for robust data protection measures to be enshrined in the law.
The representative also pressed for a crucial inclusion regarding due process: compensation for the falsely accused. James demanded that if an individual is charged with a cybercrime but ultimately wins their case, the Bill must guarantee appropriate compensation is paid to the innocent party.
She further emphasized that the entire legislative effort must align with international human rights standards, specifically referencing Article 9, Subsections 1, 2, and 3 of the Transitional Constitution.
The Bill is now expected to proceed to the third reading and further review as legislators address the pressing concerns raised regarding gender, privacy, and accountability.
Victims of technology-facilitated gender-based violence women and girls suffer severe long-term psychological and social consequences, sometimes leading to death by suicide. Online gender-based violence takes various forms, including harassment, revenge porn, threats, stalking, bullying, and defamation, and can escalate to sexual assault or murder.
While gender-based violence isn’t new, its migration to the digital world has magnified its scale and impact, evolving from early cyberstalking in email and chat rooms to the global-scale harassment, exploitation, and degradation facilitated by social media.