The Council for Responsible Social Media is a multi-sectoral coalition of human rights activists who wish to secure a safe and equitable digital future for the African society by addressing digital harms from social media and emerging digital technologies. The Council does this by holding Big Tech accountable, challenging digital colonialism and marginalization, and advocating for local innovation that reflects African social, economic, and cultural values, informed by feminist tech principles.
We empower African communities to harness digital technologies safely and equitably by challenging the prevalence of digital harms, including gendered disinformation, digital colonialism, consumer scams, and threats to democracy. We do this by holding Big Tech accountable to the African users and demanding global standards of user protection and corporate responsibility across the continent.
The Council for Responsible Social Media employs a multi-faceted approach to achieving its objectives, including policy advocacy, strategic partnerships, stakeholder capacity development, research-based evidence generation, strategic litigation, and other actions to create a safe and secure digital ecosystem for the African society.
In Africa, marginalized and vulnerable communities face heightened risks from unaccountable Big Tech. But together, we can create change. Join us in demanding a more responsible and accountable tech industry, one that prioritizes human rights and protects those most at risk. Your support is crucial to amplifying our voice and building a safer digital future for all.
Over the years we’ve reported on the state of Big Tech. The challenges that we’re facing today are not new to us. We’ve been in this dialogue for years as a champion of the people, working to make tech a safe place. Interested in partnering together on research? Reach out to us.
Organizations around the world are working to hold Big Tech accountable. We’re highlighting some of the resources that we’ve curated from other Partner organizations and institutes who are making progress in holding Big Tech accountable.
The Council for Responsible Social Media (CRSM), in collaboration with the Peace Actors Forum (PAF), will convene a series of regional consultations between September and December 2026 in Nyeri, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret and Nakuru. The convenings will explore emerging electoral peacebuilding priorities within the different regions, with particular emphasis on digital peacebuilding, information integrity and the role of technology in conflict prevention and early response ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Why the regional consultations
Recent PAF deliberations have identified an increasingly complex electoral environment characterised by declining institutional trust, political polarisation, economic pressures, organised political violence and the growing influence of digital platforms in political mobilisation. Misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, online incitement, technology-facilitated violence and AI-enabled manipulation are increasingly intersecting with traditional drivers of electoral conflict. At the same time, peacebuilding interventions remain fragmented and often reactive, while risks and their drivers differ considerably across regions. The consultations will therefore take the conversation closer to communities, allowing national analysis to be tested against local realities and strengthening the connection between digital and community-based approaches to electoral peacebuilding.
Who will participate
The convenings will bring together a broad cross-section of actors within the national and local peace architecture. These will include civil society and community-based organisations, national, county and sub-county peace actors, women and youth organisations, organisations of persons with disabilities, faith and cultural leaders, political actors, electoral and governance institutions, security and justice-sector actors, media, private-sector representatives, digital practitioners and influencers, transport-sector and informal community networks, as well as formal and informal mediators. This inclusive approach recognises that electoral peace is shaped not only by traditional peace institutions, but also by actors who influence information, mobilisation, public opinion and community relations both online and offline.
What we hope to achieve
Each consultation will develop a clearer regional picture of emerging electoral and digital risks, identify existing capacities and gaps, and agree practical, context-specific interventions. Particular attention will be given to strengthening early warning and early response systems, including their ability to identify and respond to misinformation, hate speech and other digitally amplified risks; improving coordination and information-sharing among peace actors; and developing locally grounded approaches that combine trusted community networks with appropriate digital tools. The process is expected to culminate in regional priorities and action plans with clearer roles, responsibilities and areas for collaboration, which will collectively inform a more coordinated national approach to peaceful, inclusive and credible elections in 2027.
The Council for Responsible Social Media (CRSM) is honored to be represented at the upcoming International Civil Society Week (ICSW) taking place from November 1 to 5, 2025, in Bangkok. This flagship global event unites civil society actors across the world to celebrate and strategize around crucial issues of democracy, rights, and inclusion. CRSM's participation underscores the importance of digital rights advocacy in today's interconnected world, especially within the African context where digital transformations are rapidly reshaping society.
The Council for Responsible Social Media (CRSM) will be proudly represented at the upcoming Copenhagen Conference on Information Integrity, taking place on November 11–12, 2025, at UN City in Copenhagen. This pivotal event, co-organized by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Digital Democracy Initiative, and International Media Support, focuses on building and scaling alternative platforms and solutions to counter disinformation and strengthen democratic resilience. CRSM's participation highlights its commitment to advancing digital integrity, safety, and security—key concerns as disinformation campaigns increasingly threaten public discourse globally and especially within Africa.
'Kenya’s electoral contests have historically been highly charged, closely contested and politically polarised. As the country moves towards the 2027 General Election, these traditional pressures are now unfolding within a fast-moving and under-regulated digital environment where misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, coordinated online manipulation, incitement, harassment and algorithmically amplified political messaging can quickly move from online spaces into real-world tension. Social media platforms have become central to political communication, civic mobilisation and public debate, but they also present serious risks where digital harms are not identified, addressed or mitigated early enough.
In this context, the Council for Responsible Social Media, in collaboration with the Peace Actors Forum, will convene a meeting on 23 June in Nairobi bringing together peace actors, electoral stakeholders, civil society, media, technology actors and other relevant institutions to examine the digital threats likely to shape Kenya’s 2027 electoral environment. The objective is to begin early: to map emerging risks, identify vulnerable communities and platforms, strengthen early-warning and response mechanisms, and develop practical strategies for safeguarding electoral integrity, civic trust and peace. In a contested election cycle, digital preparedness cannot be treated as an afterthought; it must form part of the wider national effort to secure a peaceful, credible and responsible electoral process.'
The Council for Responsible Social Media (CRSM), in collaboration with the Peace Actors Forum (PAF), is rolling out a series of regional consultations between September and December 2026 in Nyeri, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret and Nakuru. The convenings will focus on electoral peacebuilding ahead of the 2027 elections, with particular emphasis on digital peacebuilding, information integrity, early warning and response, and the development of practical, locally grounded regional action plans.
Leah Kimathi is a driving force behind the Council for Responsible Social Media who seeks to hold Big Tech Accountable. Leah is a social researcher and activist with a deep interest in governing the state in Africa, elections, peace and security (DDR, SSR, TJ) and diversity and inclusion. Read on to learn more about Leah's experience and impact.
The Council for Responsible Social Media will be represented at the Digital Democracy Conversations in Copenhagen in October 2026, contributing to discussions on the changing global digital democracy landscape, the challenges posed by emerging technologies, and the measures needed to strengthen democratic resilience. The Council will bring a Global South, and particularly African, perspective to the conversation, examining how these challenges manifest in different political and social contexts and what responses are needed as artificial intelligence increasingly shapes civic participation, information ecosystems and democratic governance.
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