As the Lebanese economy continues to deteriorate, the unofficial exchange rate between the dollar and the lira, officially pegged at $1 USD to 1,507.5 L.L since 1997, reached a peak of $1 to L.L10,500 earlier in March. The record high exchange rate was accompanied by nationwide protests. The Lebanese government,[...]
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[...]
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[...]
Bread&Net 2020nline welcomed more than 800 participants from 32 countries on Hopin this year! Over four eventful days, Bread&Net hosted 63 diverse sessions, with over 100 speakers who joined us and shared their valuable insights. Totalitarian Arab regimes, weak and monopolized telecommunications infrastructures, armies of bots promoting fake news, increased[...]
The research manager is a mid-level position that oversees all aspects of SMEX digital rights research projects from conception to completion. Their work product is the evidence-based foundation for SMEX campaigns, expertise development programs, and policy briefs. They work closely with all members of the SMEX team and report to[...]
At SMEX, we are working on building networks around digital rights and freedom of expression, both nationally and regionally. We are looking for someone enthusiastic to draft and oversee the network’s framework, processes, and implementation in the aim of creating active and functional networks across the Middle East and North[...]
At SMEX, we are working on building networks around digital rights and freedom of expression, both nationally and regionally. We are looking for someone enthusiastic to draft and oversee the program’s framework, processes and implementation in the aim of creating active and functional networks across the Middle East and North[...]
One Year Since the October 17 Uprising in Lebanon: Summons and Arrests for Online Speech It’s been one year since the October 17 uprising in Lebanon, which was ignited over the imposition of a “WhatsApp tax.” During this time, Lebanon witnessed an increase in summons and arrests resulting from online[...]
