In November 2018, the Lebanese Government issued an order to block all access to the online website building platform, Wix, which is an online company that provides web hosting. Wix is ranked #1 out of 31 website builders technologies in Lebanon. Around the same time, at least one porn site[...]
Over the past year, we have witnessed an increase in the number of phishing campaigns in Lebanon and amongst the Lebanese diaspora. Most users have received phishing links through WhatsApp and email; almost all of these campaigns rely on human error, so users need to take precautions to protect themselves.[...]
This article was originally posted on ICANN website and is part of ICANN’s “Do You Have a Domain Name? Here’s What You Need to Know” educational series. For many registrants, domain names (and the services connected to them, like websites and emails) are essential to their professional and personal lives. Whether[...]
Feature image via IMEIInfo.com: An example of an IMEI number. The Lebanese Ministry of Telecommunications recently announced that residents must register the International Mobile Equipment Identity number (IMEI) associated with their phone numbers on a new website. After people register their IMEI number, the ministry then sends them a link, which[...]
The Lebanese Ministry of Finance insignia, National News Agency, December 2013. This week, Cisco’s Talos Intelligence Group revealed that researchers discovered a new spyware campaign, dubbed “DNSpionage,” which targeted individuals and government websites in the UAE and Lebanon. Additionally, the attackers also targeted Lebanese private companies, such as Middle Eastern[...]
As part of the 16 Days Against Gender Based Violence, we are releasing our new report “Online Privacy Threats to Women and the LGBTIQ Community in Lebanon,” which documents the state of digital privacy for women and LGBTIQ individuals in the country. We found that although the digital space can[...]
On November 20 and 21, around 200 people from over 20 countries gathered together in Beirut for 35 panels, talks, and workshops at Bread&Net, the region’s digital rights unconference. Hosted by SMEX and organized collaboratively with supporters and partners, Bread&Net created an offline space for discussion about technology and society, in[...]
Feature image via SMEX: Who controls what we see online? Who controls what we see online? SMEX screened the documentary “The Cleaners” and hosted a discussion yesterday, Sunday 18 November, before the start of regional unconference Bread&Net. “The Cleaners” sheds light on the hidden world of content moderators – thousands of[...]
Though Coursera did not respond to SMEX’s request for comment, the restriction of both platforms in Syria is likely linked to the reimposition of the Iran sanctions. Previously, Coursera totally restricted access to its content in Syria in 2014, but quickly reinstated access to the majority of the courses, limiting[...]
Feature image via the cleaners: Who is controlling what we see… and what we think? The Web that was once created to be public, free, and open is not the same anymore. Almost everything we do online these days is controlled by private companies; whether we are sending an email (through[...]
