| Title | Public control and digital surveillance |
|---|---|
| Subtitle | Understanding the role of civil society in the DRC |
| Contributor | Trésor Maheshe Musole(author) |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.62637/sup.dasw4926.4 |
| Landing page | https://books.sup.ac.uk/sup/catalog/book/sup-9781917341158/chapter/27 |
| License | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
| Copyright | Trésor Maheshe Musole |
| Publisher | Scottish Universities Press |
| Published on | 2026-01-15 |
| Long abstract | This chapter examines the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in public control of digital surveillance. The presentation uses three case studies to explain the low level of CSO interest in electronic surveillance. The study suggests ways to engage CSOs in actions that limit the abuses of surveillance through their public control. From these three case studies, CSOs fail to reduce surveillance against political opponents and individuals. Faced with this situation, this chapter answers two questions: RQ1What are the factors behind the low level of interest among Congolese civil society in the issue of surveillance? RQ2 How can civil society actions limit the abuses of surveillance? By analysing these questions, the chapter clearly demonstrates how public surveillance can succeed and what inhibiting factors can cause it to fail. |
| Language | English (Original) |
Trésor Maheshe Musole is a Professor of International Law at the Catholic University of Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). His area of expertise is peace, human rights, security and migration in the Great Lakes region, as well as freedom of expression and the right to asylum. He has experience in the judicial and human-rights field, having worked as a member of the body of judicial defenders at the courts under the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal of Bukavu, and is currently a lawyer at the bar of South Kivu in the DRC. He recently completed a study on digital surveillance and privacy in DRC: balancing national security and personal data protection.