SmartPhone Diaries: Incentivizing Mobile Operators to Protect Your Digital Rights

Out of 66 mobile telecom operators around the region, only 14 have publicly available terms of service and only five have publicly available privacy policies. Lebanon operators Alfa and Touch aren't in either group.

On Wednesday, November 22, 2017, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Masaha, journalist and internet policy researcher Afef Abrougui will present her findings from a recent survey of the policies of MENA mobile telecom operators and discuss the obligations of the private sector to protect and respect human rights, even in the face of government pressure. She, along with Ranking Digital Rights director Rebecca Mackinnon via Jitsi, will also discuss the ranking methodology used and how it is being leveraged to promote human rights in the tech and telecom business at a global level. After the presentation, SMEX will show examples of how activists in other countries and markets have leveraged similar data to campaign for more transparent user policies. Then, we will lead a brainstorming session to generate ideas for a Lebanon-focused campaign. We hope you will join us. Refreshments will be provided.

About Ranking Digital Rights

Ranking Digital Rights (rankingdigitalrights.org) is a non-profit research initiative housed at New America's Open Technology Institute, working with an international network of partners to set global standards for how companies in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector should respect freedom of expression and privacy. RDR publishes the annual Corporate Accountability Index, a ranking of the world's most powerful internet, mobile, and telecommunications companies' disclosed policies and practices affecting users' freedom of expression and privacy.

About SMEX

SMEX is a Beirut-based media development and digital rights organization working to advance self-regulating information societies. Our mission is to defend digital rights, promote open culture and local content, and encourage critical engagement with digital technologies, media, and networks through research, knowledge-sharing, and advocacy.