Database

Browse Database

SOUTH SUDAN

N/A

Pillar Online sales and transactions  |  Indicator Ratification of the UN Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts
Lack of signature of the UN Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts
South Sudan has not signed the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts.
Coverage Horizontal

SOUTH SUDAN

N/A

Pillar Online sales and transactions  |  Indicator UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce
Lack of adoption of UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce
South Sudan has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Commerce.
Coverage Horizontal

SOUTH SUDAN

N/A

Pillar Online sales and transactions  |  Indicator UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Signatures
Lack of adoption of UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Signatures
South Sudan has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Signatures.
Coverage Horizontal

SOUTH SUDAN

N/A

Pillar Intermediary liability  |  Indicator Safe harbour for intermediaries for copyright infringement
Lack of intermediary liability framework in place for copyright infringements
A basic legal framework on intermediary liability for copyright infringement is absent in South Sudan's law and jurisprudence.
Coverage Internet intermediaries

SOUTH SUDAN

N/A

Pillar Intermediary liability  |  Indicator Safe harbour for intermediaries for any activity other than copyright infringement
Lack of intermediary liability framework in place beyond copyright infringements
A basic legal framework on intermediary liability beyond copyright infringement is absent in South Sudan's law and jurisprudence.
Coverage Internet intermediaries

SOUTH SUDAN

Reported in 2021, last reported in 2023

Pillar Intermediary liability  |  Indicator User identity requirement
Mandatory SIM card registration
It is reported that South Sudan imposes an identity requirement for SIM registration. Anyone wanting to purchase a SIM card has to provide their national ID card or a passport in case of foreigners to activate a new prepaid SIM card.
Coverage Telecommunications sector

SOUTH SUDAN

Reported in 2021, last reported in 2023

Pillar Content access  |  Indicator Blocking or filtering of commercial web content
Blocking of commercial web content
In recent years, there have been several reported cases of web content blocking, illustrating the challenge of restricted access to online platforms. In late June 2020, Sudan's Post publicly announced that government authorities had blocked access to its content. In August 2021, it was noted that Facebook and WhatsApp faced restrictions ahead of planned protests, underscoring the ongoing issue of online content limitations. Moreover, it is reported the government’s South Sudan National Communication Authority at times blocked access to certain websites in 2023, such as two popular news websites, Radio Tamazuj and Sudans Post, as well as social media personalities and other online news generators.
Coverage Media outlets, blogs and social media

SOUTH SUDAN

Reported in 2025

Pillar Content access  |  Indicator Presence of Internet shutdowns
Presence of Internet shutdowns
The indicator "7.2.4 - Government Internet shut down in practice" of the V-Dem Dataset, which measures whether the government has the technical capacity to actively make internet service cease, thus interrupting domestic access to the internet or whether the government has decided to do so, has a score of 1 in South Sudan for the year 2024. This corresponds to "The government shut down domestic access to the Internet numerous times this year."
Coverage Horizontal

SOUTH SUDAN

Since June 2012

Pillar Quantitative trade restrictions for ICT goods and online services  |  Indicator Other import restrictions, including non-transparent/discriminatory import procedures
National Communication Act, 2012
Sections 28-30 of the National Communication Act restrict the use, import or trade of any communication equipment or materials except under a licence issued by the Authority.
Coverage Communication equipment

SOUTH SUDAN

N/A

Pillar Cross-border data policies  |  Indicator Participation in trade agreements committing to open cross-border data flows
Lack of participation in agreements with binding commitments on data flows
South Sudan has not joined any agreement with binding commitments to open transfers of data across borders. However, South Sudan has been a member of the East African Community EAC since 2016 and is an observer of COMESA.
Coverage Horizontal

SOUTH SUDAN

N/A

Pillar Domestic data policies  |  Indicator Framework for data protection
Lack of legal framework for data protection
South Sudan does not have a comprehensive regime of data protection in place.
Coverage Horizontal

SOUTH SUDAN

Since May 2021

Pillar Domestic data policies  |  Indicator Minimum period for data retention
Cybercrimes and Computer Misuse Provisional Order, 2021
Section 6 of the Cybercrimes and Computer Misuse Provisional Order imposes an obligation on service providers to store for 180 days information relating to communications, including personal data and traffic data of subscribers. A service provider is defined as a public or private entity that provides to users of its services the means to communicate by use of a computer system and any other entity that processes or stores computer data on behalf of that entity or its users (Section 5).
Coverage Online service providers

SOUTH SUDAN

N/A

Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)  |  Indicator Copyright law with clear exceptions
Lack of copyright law
South Sudan does not have a law covering copyright protection.
Coverage Horizontal

SOUTH SUDAN

Reported in 2022, last reported in 2023

Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)  |  Indicator Enforcement of copyright online
Lack of adequate enforcement of copyright online
Copyright is not adequately enforced online in South Sudan. It is reported that the legal structure for intellectual property rights (IPR) is weak, and enforcement is lax.
Coverage Horizontal

SOUTH SUDAN

N/A

Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)  |  Indicator Adoption of the WIPO Copyright Treaty
Lack of signature of the WIPO Copyright Treaty
South Sudan has not signed the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty.
Coverage Horizontal

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