There is no doubt that the power Big Techs possess over society is “big.” It is ironic how a deregulated sector is regulating societies, a job that is mandated to the law. The power that Big Techs accumulate, enables them to impose their own standards and policies on the whole[...]
This report analyzes data protection and privacy laws in Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait. Joey Shea, a researcher and analyst specialized in security and political repression, documents the deployment of COVID-19 contact tracing applications in these states. The report, which was supported through CYRILLA’s Applied Advocacy and[...]
The life of Moroccan police officer Wahiba Khourchech was turned upside down after exposing her boss for stalking and intimidation. After filing a sexual harassment complaint against regional security chief Aziz Boumehdi, Khourchech had to endure traumatizing repercussions. Retaliatory actions went as far as videotaping her naked while with her[...]
We have witnessed in the last couple of years a striking increase in the number of devices seized by security agencies in Lebanon, a phenomenon that became more pronounced following the October 2019 uprising. When it comes to these seizures, the legal framework is vague and often exploited or circumvented[...]
SMEX is looking for an Event Manager to lead and implement Bread&Net, the annual SMEX unconference on digital rights in the MENA region. The manager will be responsible for organizing and hosting the 2021 edition of Bread&Net which will take place around November/December. Responsibilities: Project the vision and the[...]
In Lebanon, passports, drivers’ licenses, work permits, residency permits, and humanitarian aid all use systems that require biometric data, such as unique fingerprints or iris scans of citizens, residents, and refugees. In 2017, the newly passed electoral law stated that voters would use “magnetic voting cards” to vote in the[...]
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[...]
The last weeks have witnessed an increase in reported cases of people losing access to their WhatsApp accounts. At first users suspected their accounts got banned or blocked as a result of not agreeing to WhatsApp’s latest privacy policy. The new update had threatened to delete the account of those[...]
Wikipedia: a long history of collaborative knowledge production and free access, and some bots too.
Tech and media companies are exploiting free, popular apps to increase their access to personal data; and WhatsApp has just followed suit. The app has been sending notifications about an odd update to its privacy policy. The latest policy grants Whatsapp permission to share users’ data with its parent company,[...]
