C 100/74
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
16.3.2023
6.2.
Some of the Mediterranean countries are reluctant to venture into rapid digital transition.
The political unwillingness is due to the fear of losing control over the population, leading to filtering and censorship.
Meanwhile, digital tools can allow civil society organisations to be heard and to promote democracy.
The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet, laureate of the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize, is an example of the important role that civil society organisations can play in a peaceful transition of a society.
6.3.
Since digitalisation paves the way for social and economic development, an independent authority should put in place an adequate digital regulatory framework, promoting digital rights principles, such as internet neutrality.
6.4.
Rapid digitalisation increases the risk of cyber threats.
The role of the authorities is key in setting up a well-designed legislative framework to protect users.
Currently Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt have all enacted cybersecurity laws.
However, these laws lack data protection components (31).
It is key to protect people’s personal sensitive data such as data relating to health, etc.
6.5.
Data protection is becoming one of the most crucial areas of the digital transition.
The question of ownership and safeguarding the massive amount of data is high on the agenda of policymakers.
This is in response to the surge in big data analysis and with social media platforms gaining unprecedented power and influence.
It is argued that the regulatory framework in the Southern Neighbourhood is still underdeveloped and legislation for emerging technologies is not being passed quickly enough (32).
There are countries that even express a lack of political will to advance on this matter.
The issue is even more acute in the case of sensitive data, for instance regarding health applications and platforms.
Notably, there is scepticism in southern countries where the legislation for GDPR and similar privacy protection might still not be in place.
In Europe, the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) aim to build a safer digital space for users while fostering innovation and competitiveness.
6.6.
Digital piracy is another pitfall of digitalisation.
Digitalised creations subject to Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) are extremely easy and cheap to be copied and distributed at large scale.
Creative businesses will suffer more from this phenomenon and, in the absence of effective legislation, artists’ and creative workers’ business models will become unsustainable.
6.7.
Digitalisation can lead to civil suppression.
In some countries, digital rights are under attack by authorities as digitalisation is viewed as a means of surveillance.
For instance, due to the pandemic, location-tracking applications have been used to monitor the spread of the virus, raising concerns over human rights (33).
The possible tracking of every digital activity presents a serious threat to democracy and can be used as a means of oppression.
The 2021 ‘Freedom of Net report’ ranks France the highest with a score of 78 out of 100, Italy 76, Tunisia 63, Morocco 53, Lebanon 51, Jordan 47, Türkiye 34 and Egypt 26 (34).
6.8.
The persistent digital divide can potentially lead to more significant inequalities and divergence within the Mediterranean region.
Some countries lack the digital infrastructure (coverage or access to fixed broadband), or some remote and rural areas may be simply left without coverage or 4G/5G networks.
Another source of the divide is the lack of digital skills among the population and digital illiteracy.
In particular, low levels of digital literacy are more common in the countries from the south, especially among women and the elderly (35).
(31) (32) (33) (34) (35)
Langendorf, M., ‘Applying Europe’s Digital Agenda in Mediterranean Partner Countries: Opportunities and Pitfalls’, IEMed.
Mediterranean Yearbook, 2021.
Sidło, K., ‘Digital Transformation in the Southern Neighbourhood’, EuroMeSCo Euromed Survey, 2021.
Langendorf, M., ‘Applying Europe’s Digital Agenda in Mediterranean Partner Countries: Opportunities and Pitfalls’, IEMed.
Mediterranean Yearbook, 2021. https://freedomhouse.org/policy-recommendations/internet-freedom Sidło, K., ‘Digital Transformation in the Southern Neighbourhood’, EuroMeSCo Euromed Survey, 2021.