SMEX advances digital rights
in West Asia and North Africa.

Who we are

SMEX is a non-profit that advocates for and advances human rights in digital spaces across West Asia and North Africa.

Our Vision

Our vision is for everyone living in West Asia-North Africa and the diaspora to be able to access and engage with the internet, mobile services, and other networked spaces safely and without fear of censorship, surveillance, or repercussion.

Our mission

SMEX advances freedom of expression and the right to privacy in WANA through research and reporting, monitoring state and tech companies’ policies, protecting the safety and security of online users, and collaborating with regional advocates to sustain a safer digital space.

What we do

Our Digital Safety Helpdesk assists internet users facing digital threats in the region

1330

Tickets received

446

Tickets escalated

91

Journalists assisted

118

Activists assisted

News

Latest Articles

Latest news at the intersection of technology and human rights in WANA.

Syria’s Telecom Sector: Between Neglect and Reconstruction

Residents in Syria are still awaiting the transitional government to take tangible steps towards remedying and reconstructing a devastated telecommunications…

Policy Brief: The Human Rights Risks of Big Tech’s Cloud...

This policy brief is based on the 2024 research report “Mapping Tech Companies’ Cloud Expansion in the Gulf and its…

Google’s DNS Ban in Iraq Restricts Internet Freedom 

This article was prepared in collaboration with the Iraqi Network for Social Media (INSM). The Iraqi government, through the Telecommunications…

Public voter lists risk more data breaches in Lebanon

Lebanon’s Directorate General of Civil Status (DGCS) has initiated a campaign encouraging voters to confirm their personal information on online…

Invasive Israeli software is harvesting data from Samsung users in...

Across West Asia and North Africa (WANA), growing concerns about digital surveillance have placed Israeli cybersecurity firms and their software…

Lebanon’s telecom feud disrupts SMS verification system

“I tried downloading both WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business, but I never received the verification codes,” said Rima, who recently purchased…

Post-War Internet in Lebanon: Confusion, Exploitation, and Chaos!

Nearly two months after the ceasefire took effect in Lebanon, parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs remain without internet. The government’s…

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