WORLD WORLDWIDE INTERNATIONAL Human Rights Watch News Journal Update - This Pride Month: Stand up for LGBT safety online 🏳️‍🌈

 

Having trouble viewing this email? Click here. Dear friends , For LGBT people, every day actions online like swiping and scrolling in apps can be dangerous. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have enabled people to express themselves and be heard—but they have also become tools for state-sponsored surveillance. A recent report by Human Rights Watch examines digital targeting in five countries: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Tunisia. Based on 120 interviews, the investigation details how authorities unlawfully search LGBT people’s personal devices by sometimes forcing them to unlock their devices under duress by beating them or threatening them with violence. The offline consequences of digital targeting are real and have a significant chilling effect on LGBT expression. All interviewees said that after targeting, they began practicing self-censorship online. Those who could not self-censor or whose identities were revealed reported consequences ranging from online harassment to arbitrary arrest and prosecution. We want a safe and trusted digital world. Click here to read more of our findings. Online abuses against LGBT people have offline consequences that reverberate throughout their lives. Many people who were targeted said they deleted their social media accounts, which worsened their feelings of isolation. This Pride month, join us in protecting their safety online and put a spotlight on the abusive tactics of digital targeting in the Middle East and North Africa region. We want a safe and trusted digital world. Click here to read more of our findings. Thank you for acting in solidarity with LGBT rights activists around the world. Human Rights Watch Advocacy Team DONATE TAKE ACTION VISIT HRW.ORG Human Rights Watch | 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor | New York, NY 10118 USA Tel: 1 (212) 290-4700 | news@hrw.org