Journalists gear up for the digital safety battle

Gulu | The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), in partnership with the Global Consumer Centre (CONSENT) and Sizzling Events, has launched an eight-part training marathon to turn media professionals into frontline defenders of online safety.

The call came as Uganda’s internet penetration surpassed the 50 percent mark, with incidents of cyberbullying, online fraud, and data breaches surging across the country.

During one of the media series on “Building a Safer Internet for All,” CONSENT’s Bernard Bwambale urged journalists to take a more active role in educating parents, who he said must wake up to the dangers their children face online.

“Media personnel are not just reporters of online harms and they are the first line of amplification,” Bwambale told journalists across the country via Zoom.

Also read: UN Women report: Online violence against women journalists has doubled since 2020

“If we can equip you with the right knowledge on cyber security, data privacy, and consumer protection, you will carry that message to every homestead in Uganda,” Bwambale added.

According to the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), approximately one in five children in Uganda experience cyberbullying while one in three are exposed to cyber stalking.

A Makerere University study published last year found cyberbullying prevalence as high as 42.8 percent for victimisation and 31.8 percent for perpetration among school-going adolescents, primarily via mobile phones (53.5 percent) and platforms like WhatsApp.

Across the continent, over 50 percent of children surveyed in Nigeria reported experiencing bullying or harassment online, with many refraining from seeking help due to fear of judgment or punishment, GSMA research commissioned by MTN Group in 2024 found.

In eastern and southern Africa and Southeast Asia, one in six internet-using children have experienced technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse, according to new research published in Nature on 27 May 2026.

Kimera Henry, Team Lead at CONSENT reveal that the Safer Internet Media League Series comprises eight consecutive webinars tackling themes ranging from cybercrime reporting to responsible digital parenting and participants who complete the series will be recognised as Safer Internet Champions, with a goal to have at least one trained media champion in every sub-region of Uganda by the end of 2026.

In addition, a major focus of the launch session was unpacking the UCC’s consumer protection framework, including how to report harmful content and file complaints about unfair telecom practices.

“Most Ugandans don’t know they can complain about an unsolicited loan text or a suspicious link,” a UCC official emphasised.

Bwambale stressed that journalists shape online behaviour every time they write a story, share a post, or interview a victim of cybercrime.

“This series will give them the tools to report accurately, ethically, and safely and to educate their audiences on recognizing phishing scams, protecting personal data, and using complaint mechanisms,” he said.

With Uganda aiming to digitally connect 80 percent of its population by 2030, the urgency for proactive intervention has never been greater and for parents, Bwambale’s message was clear: the time to act is now, not after a child has been harmed.