Launched around the initial lockdown phase in March 2020, Clubhouse has become a space for virtual audio hang-outs and more serious controversial debates. Participants voiced their opinions about the Gulf’s normalization of Israeli ties, racism, and transgender rights. This kindling of a sense of connection through the intimacy of voice[...]
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,[...]
This article is a crosspost from Global Voices. This article is part of UPROAR, a Small Media initiative that is urging governments to address digital rights challenges at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). If the Arab Spring highlighted one phenomenon about digital upheaval, cyber-activism and democratization, it was this: the[...]
Over the past couple of weeks, state agencies, international organizations, and local initiatives have launched applications to track housing damage, provide food assistance, and offer health services in the wake of the Beirut explosion. These are incredibly important initiatives, but they should also take the necessary steps to protect users’[...]
SMEX is seeking a part-time researcher to work on a project analyzing the threats to internet access and digital privacy faced by Syrian refugees in Lebanon. The mixed methods research project will combine interviews with relevant stakeholders, a survey, and desk research. The ideal candidate should be comfortable conducting interviews[...]
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[...]
As the Covid-19 virus continues to spread across the world, governments are adopting surveillance measures to track patients, raising privacy concerns. Lebanon, like many other countries, has launched digital tools to help diagnose and monitor the spread of the outbreak. The tools launched by the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health[...]
During Bread&Net 2019, the MENA Digital Threats and Controls session discussed the most prevalent types of digital threats and patterns in the region. Additionally, experts also explored the basic digital security controls that users can adopt to protect their digital existence. Ali Sibai, technologist and Rapid Response Network coordinator revealed[...]
With the spread of COVID-19, many firms, organizations, and universities have adopted work from home policies and more people than ever are using online conferencing tools. Zoom, one of the platforms that has gained the most popularity recently, has a number of privacy issues, including monitoring computer activity and collecting[...]
It was recently revealed that Careem, the Emirati-based ride hailing company, recently purchased by Uber, routinely shares riders’ full names and phone numbers with drivers, or “captains” as the company refers to them. This policy has resulted in drivers sending unsolicited Facebook friend requests to riders, violating their privacy and[...]
