September 2022 Newsletter: DRF’s Nighat Dad at the Ministerial Summit for Information and Democracy
October 17, 2022November 2022 Newsletter: Paris Peace Forum 2022
December 20, 2022
DRF was pleased to be a part of the upcoming Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform “ON/OFF Implications of Digital Connectivity on Human Rights” on 18th October.In the first panel DRF’s Nighat Dad spoke about the human rights implications of digital connectivity for surveillance, interception and data collection.
Online Campaigns
#CyberSecurityMonth
1st October commemorates Cyber Security month in which we focused on the different online threats that individuals face and what remedies one can adopt to protect themselves online.
#CyberSecurityMonth #CyberSecMonth #ThinkB4UClick
#InternationalDayOfGirlChild
This International Day of Girl Child let’s aim to make Hamara internet safer for girls. To report child pornography and sensitive child sexual abuse online go to http://report.iwf.org.uk/pk and report anonymously.
#internationaldayofthegirlchild2022
Policy Initiatives
Collaboration Between DRF & NCHR
DRF and NCHR are collaborating together with the launch of a complaint cell for women journalists facing online abuse.
#ProtectWomenJournalists
Reporting and Collecting Evidence for Domestic Violence, Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault
DRF’s legal team and ED shared an information breakdown of collecting evidence in cases of domestic abuse, sexual harassment and assault. The Twitter thread carefully curates the procedures and necessary evidence needed to record domestic violence abuse.
Link to thread:
https://twitter.com/nighatdad/status/1584819490537107457?s=20&t=XyUfr1eCq97ObkCg6CCCLw
Press Coverage
Content Moderation and Free Speech on Sky FM89
DRF conducted a session on “Content Moderation and Free Speech” as part of the Digital 50:50 campaign with their organization’s Research and Policy Director informing viewers regarding reporting content on social media and governmental and company policies.
View the program here.
Personal is Political
DRF’s Network of Women Journalists for Digital Rights (NWJDR) members Rabbiya Arshad and Sabah Bano Malik spoke on FM 100 on Personal is Political.
You can listen to the conversation in the link below:
DRF’s ED and Legal Team Advice For Domestic Abuse Victims
Here’s news coverage on the legal advice:
https://www.thefridaytimes.com/2022/10/25/nighat-dad-offers-legal-advice-for-domestic-abuse-victims/
Events
DRF at #AJCONF on Crisis of Constitutionalism
DRF’s Executive Director Nighat Dad spoke on the onslaught on civil society in social asia on regulating social media: freedom but under what on October 23rd.
Role of the private sector in the spread of online hate speech
DRF’s Director for Research and Policy spoke to the panel “Role of the private sector in the spread of online hate speech” the regional convening on Challenging Hate Narratives in Asia on 4 October, 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand. DRF joined the discussion virtually to discuss the role of the private sector, and especially social media platforms, in the spread of hate speech and the effectiveness of their response to this situation.
Women Journalists Well-being and Residency Retreat
DRF, in collaboration with the Free Press Unlimited, held a Well-being Residency Retreat for Women Journalists in the hills in northern Pakistan. The retreat was attended by 24 journalists from the Network of Women Journalists for Digital Rights. The five-day long Retreat was an opportunity for women journalists to engage in networking with other journalists from across the country and also get time to unwind from the everyday hustle and stressors of the profession. During the retreat, the journalists attended two days of intensive sessions on stress management, self care and digital detox as well as skills to ensure their online safety. They built peer coaching relationships to further enhance the solidarity of the network and help each other in whatever capacity possible.
DRF’s legal team was also engaged for a short session during the retreat. The session started with a quick recap of applicable laws and short animated videos were shown to the participants. These videos covered various facts and the relevant laws. Thereafter, the participants and the trainer had a dialogue about their basic understanding pertaining to the concepts behind different legal issues which they come across in their daily journalistic practices.
Countering Online Misinformation in Pakistan
DRF, in collaboration with CFLI, held a training workshop in Lahore. The purpose of the workshop was to identify misinformation/disinformation, document disinformation and misinformation trends online, and build fact-checking abilities. It was attended by 18 participants from diverse backgrounds. After the training, the participants were asked to share their experiences with misinformation online and how the workshop will inform their future online interactions.
Digital Well Being and Safety Fellowship 2.0
DRF in collaboration with FNF held the Digital Well Being and Safety Fellowship 2.0 in Shangrila Hotel Murree from 21st to 22nd October 2022. The fellowship was attended by 10 women journalists from across Pakistan who were part of a three-month extensive program for women journalists. It started out with a pre-assessment exercise, with the trainers determining the level of legal knowledge of the participants. After the exercise was concluded, the trainers delved into various laws such as the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, Sedition Laws, the Protection of Women at the Workplace Act, the Defamation Ordinance, the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act etc.
The trainers were particular about walking the participants through the complaint filing procedure with the Federal Investigation Agency Cyber Crime Wing and other fundamental procedural necessities were elaborated upon. The trainers also focused on the mental health and well-being of the participants and the pressures women journalists face in the field.
META: Women’s Safety Roundtable
On 6th October 2022, representatives from the Legal, Research and Helpline teams at DRF attended the Women’s Safety Roundtable conducted by the South Asian contingent of Meta’s policy team. In the discussion, new initiatives regarding women’s safety on Meta’s platforms were shared with stakeholders which included other notable civil society organizations across South Asia. Additionally, DRF and others shared their insights on potential improvements to these initiatives to better ensure women’s safety and privacy online.
Technology, Social Media and Regulation in South Asia
DRF spoke at the ISAS Panel Discussion (webinar) titled “Technology, Social Media and Regulation in South Asia” on 13 October 2022. The panelists included experts from the region: Meg Chang (Content Regulation Policy Manager, Head of APAC, Meta (Facebook), Singapore), Shahzeb Mahmood (Research Associate, Center for Governance Studies, Dhaka, Bangladesh), Shmyla Khan (Director Research and Policy, Digital Rights Foundation, Lahore, Pakistan) and Shruti Shreya (Programme Manager, The Dialogue, New Delhi, India).
Bayan Legal Journal
DRF’s Nighat Dad and Zainab Durrani were featured in Simorgh’s Bayan Legal Journal Volume 6 that was published this month.
The article titled ‘Unlawful Online Content and the Rights of the Citizen’ reviews the legal climate in which the recent internet governance laws and regulations were passed in Pakistan and discusses the impact on free speech.
Link: https://simorgh.org.pk/portfolio_page/freedom-of-speech-volume-i-2021/
2nd Asma Jahangir Memorial Lecture Series
DRF attended the 2nd Asma Jahangir Memorial Lecture Series on 25 October 2022 with the UN Special Rappartuer on Violence Against Women as the guest speaker. The event was organised by the AGHS Legal Aid Cell.
Digital Dada Podcast
Zainab Durrani, Project Manager at Digital Rights Foundation appeared on the Kenyan Digital Dada Podcast hosted by journalist and digital security trainer Cecilia Maundu. She spoke on DRF’s work, the onground situation around online violence in Pakistan and the impact of the overlap of gender. She also highlighted what impedes access to digital rights in Pakistan and discussed the ongoing research work being done under the Data Privacy portfolio she manages at DRF.
Link to podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85NDI0ZTEyNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw/episode/ZDVhYjY2NjgtZTYxMS00ZDlmLTkwMTAtNWIyOWE4ZmEzYjIx
DRF Updates
Cyber Harassment Helpline
The Cyber Harassment Helpline received 260 complaints in October with 159 of these from women. If you’re encountering a problem online you can reach out to our helpline on 0800-39393, email us at helpdesk@digitalrightsfoundation.pk or reach out to us on our social media accounts. We’re available for assistance from 9 am till 5 pm, Monday to Sunday.
IWF Portal
DRF in collaboration with Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and the Global Fund to End Violence Against Children launched a portal to combat children’s online safety in Pakistan. The new portal allows internet users in Pakistan to anonymously report child sexual abuse material in three different languages- English, Urdu, and Pashto.
StopNCII.org
Meta along with Revenge Porn Helpline (RPH) has launched a portal to support victims of Non-Consensual Intimate Image Abuse (NCII). NCII is a free portal for reporting cases of sensitive or sexual content existing online. Once you report a case, the necessary steps will be taken to block the images from the platform.
#FloodsInPakistan2022
Climate change has had devastating consequences for the country and with the ongoing flood crisis there has been immense loss to property and life. It’s important to donate in this hour of crisis, however it’s also important to verify who you’re donating to.
The following resources are available for anyone who wants to donate during this crisis.
https://www.floodpk.com/ https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/donate-to-pakistan-flood-relief https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1u4EcNZIhKUltDc7ZPiMT3CLrVooFLFd_4AyKM1raEZs/edit#gid=139435833
