Our work this month

Collaboration with Ministry of Social Affairs in Lebanon (MOSA):

Since the start of the war in Lebanon, SMEX has been working in close collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA) to strengthen the digital safety and security of displaced individuals and families. As part of this collaboration, SMEX reviewed the data collection platform used by MOSA and provided technical recommendations to enhance its security and ensure the protection of personal information. In addition, SMEX conducted a policy analysis on data storage practices, offering guidance to safeguard sensitive data. Building on these efforts, SMEX and MOSA are now jointly preparing to launch an awareness campaign focused on digital safety and security.

Training on digital safety

Designed for wartime specifically, the session offered practical, hands-on guidance; from helping peers debunk misinformation to spotting and reporting phishing attempts, and navigating fraudulent e-wallet requests and transactions.

Participants described the session as timely, relevant, and immediately useful in addressing the risks they’re facing today. “SMEX helped us rediscover our sense of purpose. Through learning and sharing knowledge about digital safety, we realized the important role we play in our community”, said Iman, one of the participants.

SMEX will continue with this training plan targeting more and more displaced communities across Lebanon.

SMEX Media Interventions

During the war on Lebanon, SMEX’s team is still responding to media inquiries from all over the region on timely issues surrounding digital rights and their constantly changing state.

Here are some highlights from our latest expert media mentions from the past month:

• Our Executive Director outlines steps that the Lebanese government can take in times of war

• SMEX discovered the usage of BITTER, a phishing campaign targeting journalists in the WANA region

• Lebanese paramedics rely on messaging apps in the absence of proper telecom measures

• Buying satellite imagery could put privacy at risk

Rotten Apple: An Invasive Threat Actor Targeting Civil Society in Lebanon

A Lebanese journalist received a message on their iPhone. It looked exactly like Apple: Account at risk. New device connected. Act now.

The whole thing took 30 seconds, which is less time than it takes to read this paragraph.

Their account had been compromised. When they reached out to our Digital Safety Helpdesk and the case reached our Digital Forensic Lab, our team found that the journalist’s email had been hardcoded into the attack page before they ever clicked anything. This was not a random scam. They were the target, as were other journalists and civil society figures across the region, reached through the same infrastructure, on WhatsApp and iMessage, with Signal and Telegram also in the attackers’ sights.

Working with Access Now, and with independent analysis from Lookout, we linked the campaign to a threat actor believed to be operating across our region. Read the full report.

Collaboration with Miss Lebanon

In times like these, Miss Lebanon 2026 Perla Harb told her followers, everything feels heavy. We are all living through fear and displacement. We are all saying goodbye to people we love, losing homes, losing ground. And on top of all of that our phones keep buzzing. WhatsApp groups, breaking news, videos we cannot verify, links we do not recognise.

This year, Perla Harb partnered with us to share something simple: you do not have to navigate this alone, and you do not have to protect yourself beyond what you can carry.

Here is the advice she shared:

• Enable two-factor authentication

• Don’t open links you don’t recognise

• Go to your WhatsApp settings and make sure only people you know can add you to groups

• Check the news before you share it

What we are watching

Before you download that app

You have probably heard about the apps that work without the internet. Bitchat. Bridgefy. Briar. In Gaza, Iran, and Ukraine, people have used them when everything else went dark. They work. But there are things you need to know before you download. Our Senior Cybersecurity Analyst Madeleine Belesi said that Bluetooth communication is not end-to-end encrypted. What you send can be read. And these apps only work if everyone around you has Bluetooth on at the same time — which is harder to arrange in a crisis than it sounds.

Useful tools. Real trade-offs. Knowing them before you need the app is the whole point.

We have put together resources to help you navigate this. And if you are ever unsure, our Digital Safety Helpdesk is here.

The Gulf’s digital crackdown

In the UAE, authorities ordered X to block verified journalists, academics, and news outlets inside the country on the grounds that their content was “misleading” or “offensive.” X complied, restricting access inside the UAE while leaving the accounts visible everywhere else. No court order or appeal.

In Kuwait alone, dozens have been arrested for social media posts. Among them is Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, a veteran journalist visiting his family, who was finally acquitted after 52 days of detention by authorities in Kuwait for  sharing content that has been published by the CNN. Read our full digest here

April opportunities

Internet Society Community Advocacy Fellowship: Applications are open for Internet Society’s Community Advocacy Fellowship, a 6-month program with virtual sessions and one in-person workshop focused on Internet advocacy. Apply by:  May 3, 2026.

“AI in Media” fellowship: Maharat Foundation, with Free Press Unlimited, is launching a regional “AI in Media” fellowship for journalists in Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Jordan. Apply: by May 4, 2026.

Course on data governance for digital and AI systems: UNDP and UNESCO are launching a new edition of their online course on data governance for digital and AI systems. Apply: by May 31, 2026.

Communications Manager at Tiktok: TikTok is hiring a Head of Communications for the MENA region, based in the UAE. The role focuses on leading PR strategy, managing reputation, and shaping regional narratives. Apply through this link.