In May, SMEX’s Digital Safety Helpdesk addressed 133 digital threats spanning account suspensions, cyber violence, sexual blackmail, content moderation, and other issues. We received cases from countries across West Asia and North Africa (WANA), as well as from Europe and the United States.
This month, we received 45 cases, mainly from Lebanon. Most cases reported issues related to WhatsApp accounts from group members sharing news about the war in southern Lebanon and Gaza. Additionally, the platform helped remove incitement posts that criminalized activists and called for their arrest and deportation.
Lebanon shares these cases with Palestine, where account suspensions and activity restrictions have surged since October 7, 2023. This increase coincides with the electronic warfare targeting spaces that support the Palestinian narrative, in parallel with the military aggression against Gaza. The Digital Safety Helpdesk received reports about repression by Meta, which has excessively monitored Palestinian content, leading to the deletion of posts and suspension of accounts. Dozens of journalists also contacted the Helpdesk after suddenly being prevented from engaging in digital activities or receiving phishing links from various parties aiming to hack their accounts and devices.
In Tunisia, repression has intensified against groups and individuals defending the rights of refugees and immigrants. Journalists, activists, and lawyers have fallen victim to these practices. The Digital Safety Helpdesk assisted targets by recovering arbitrarily suspended accounts and providing logistical support during and after their arrests. These practices are legitimized by Decree-Law No. 54 of 2022 on combating IT and telecom crimes.
“The political and social landscape in the region is changing worryingly in light of the escalating manifestations of repression. Evidence of this is the increase in political arrests in many countries and the use of social media and personal profiles on the internet to target, criminalize, and silence activists,” said Samar Al-Halal, SMEX Digital Security Helpdesk Manager and Technology Unit Lead.
“Activists and journalists find the space on the internet to raise their voices, which is why they are targeted. Unfortunately, it has become easy to use reasons out of nowhere to persecute and imprison them based on a simple post or like,” Al-Halal added.
As a general trend in the region, statistics from the Digital Safety Helpdesk showed a concerning rise in cases of sexual blackmail, particularly targeting members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Journalists and activists were the most prominent groups targeted over the past month. The attacks on workers in civil society organizations in Jordan are a clear example of this, according to the Helpdesk’s statistics.
“Targeted groups such as activists and journalists usually face exaggerated content moderation, stifling censorship, and obstacles that suppress their voices, including shadow bans, account suspensions, and restrictions on electronic activities like live broadcasting, publishing, and content accessibility,” Al-Halal said.
Therefore, the platform was keen to provide users with advice and instructions on maintaining their digital presence and safety.
The Digital Safety Helpdesk offers free support to activists, journalists, marginalized groups, and human rights defenders facing cybersecurity incidents and online threats in West Asia and North Africa.
If you are exposed to any digital attack, you can always contact the platform from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm Beirut time via:
- Signal/WhatsApp: +961 81 633 133
- Email: helpdesk@smex.org
Always stay safe!
