In a decision to expand their global network with new cloud regions, Google announced in December 2020 that Google Cloud will deploy and operate a Cloud region in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This decision is a result of an agreement between Aramco (Saudi Petroleum giant) and Google, after[...]
We are organisations working globally to strengthen democracy and human rights. Today we are demanding that Facebook, Google, and Twitter urgently demonstrate the concern they have claimed toward democratic processes in the United States to the remaining 96% of humanity. Immediate action is needed to avoid further aiding and abetting[...]
17 December 2020, Ten years ago today, 26-year old Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in protest over injustice and state marginalization, igniting mass uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, and other countries across the Middle East and North Africa. As we mark the 10th anniversary of the Arab[...]
In the wake of the August 4th explosion in Beirut, there was a significant response from civil society trying to help in every way possible. Some NGOs undertook the task of distributing essential and urgent humanitarian aid, while others prepared for the reconstruction phase. The organizations working on all these[...]
Report any telecommunications outage that happens in Lebanon by filling out this form. We will use this information to update the map. Lebanon is experiencing a financial crisis that is damaging all sectors in society, including telecommunications. In addition to an increase in power cuts across the country, SMEX has[...]
We Demand Ministry of Telecommunications Open the Fixed and Mobile Internet Capacity and Reduce Prices During the COVID-19 Crisis. (Sign the petition here). In a decision to encourage citizens, including students, to stay home during Coronavirus crisis, the Lebanese government announced on Thursday, March 12, that Ogero, the national internet[...]
Over the past four years, Lebanon has witnessed a crackdown against freedom of expression online. The state has penalized citizens, journalists, and civil society representatives who criticize government officials or mock religious figures, worsening the overall environment for free speech online. In our newest report, “Analyzing Freedom of Expression Online[...]
Join us at 6 PM on Wednesday, February 27 for the launch of Muhal, an open database that documents online freedom of expression violations. We have collected data, including the charges, the punishment, and a description of each case, from local news articles and independent sources. By aggregating and publishing[...]
In the final days of the 2011 Egyptian revolution, the world gasped in disbelief as the administration of President Hosni Mubarak shut down access to the Internet and all mobile communications. At the time, it was inconceivable that a government would cut off people’s access to the internet and mobile[...]
On January 18, researchers at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and security company Lookout published a report uncovering a global malware espionage campaign operated from the building of the General Directorate of General Security in Beirut. Dubbed Dark Caracal, the campaign partly relies on the use of fake Android apps[...]
