The safety of the digital rights community is always our first priority. That’s why, with so much uncertainty about the trajectory of Covid-19, we’ve decided that Bread&Net 2020 will be held virtually. While we won’t be hosting an in-person gathering, we look forward to once again bringing the community together[...]
On April 30, 2020, The Lebanese General Prosecutor ordered the Ministry of Telecommunications to compel all internet service providers to block 28 applications, claiming that these applications were spreading false information about the “unofficial” exchange rate between the dollar (USD) and the Lebanese Lira (L.L). We condemn the General Prosecutor’s[...]
This article appeared first on MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab Region . “It was my mistake and I am sorry.” This is what Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg told the US Congress back in 2018 when asked about the data misuse by Cambridge Analytica to publish targeted political ads to Facebook users[...]
The National Council for Women (NCW) has demanded that Google ceases the broadcast and promotion of the Salmonella song – which was released by Tameem Youness on YouTube on the first day of 2020. The NCW based its demand on the Anti-Cyber and Information Technology Crimes law, according to the[...]
From November 15 to 17, more than 250 participants gathered for Bread&Net 2019 in the heart of Beirut. With the ongoing Lebanese revolution, this was a special year for our regional digital rights unconference. The political situation was a major focus, from a topic of discussion during various panels to[...]
On Wednesday, October 9, Iraqi lawyer Mohammed Joumaa filed a lawsuit against the Iraqi minister of telecommunications for disrupting and shutting down the Internet during protests in early October. The lawsuit demands that the minister of telecommunications “repeal the decision to shutdown the internet in the country and establish that network disruptions[...]
This article has also appeared on MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab’s website. Arrived at Toronto union station on a cold Wednesday night, I rushed into a black SUV while I was keeping an eye on the endless queue of taxis waiting for the next client to come. As a Ph.D.[...]
In Lebanon, telcos and major tech companies tend to impact users’ privacy and freedom of expression. A 2018 SMEX report found that out of 66 mobile telecom operators in the MENA region, only 14 published terms of service, seven published privacy policies, and four published both. None of them are[...]
SMEX is thrilled to announce the return of Bread&Net, the annual Arabic-language unconference to strengthen and defend human rights in digitally networked spaces in the MENA region. Join us from 15 to 17 November 2019 at Antwork in Beirut! We took your comments and feedback from last year’s inaugural Bread&Net[...]
A few weeks ago Ogero, the ministry of telecommunications operated internet service provider (ISP), blocked Grindr, a popular gay online dating application, due to a court order from the general disciplinary judge Marie Abou Mourad, which stated that the application “secures romantic and sexual liaisons for homosexuals and bisexuals.” The[...]
