Articles by Social Media Exchange (SMEX)
A snapshot of digital rights coverage in the MENA region
SMEX interviewed 15 MENA journalists and civil society researchers to discuss challenges and opportunities of covering digital rights.
ZooPark: New spyware campaign targets Android users in the Middle East
A cyber espionage campaign active since at least June 2015 is stealing private data from Android mobile devices in Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco and Iran.
Life after sentencing for MENA’s political detainees
In December, MENA activists focused on the plight of political detainees serving lengthy and unjust sentences in obscurity.
Why Yemen’s internet shutdowns are so dangerous to civilians
Blocking of news sites and internet shutdowns follow renewed attacks on journalists.
Unapologetic crackdowns on dissent as greater instability rocks MENA
As the saga of Saudi’s hunted elites commanded attention across the Middle East and North Africa this November, news of the region’s less powerful prey fell by the wayside. Authorities in Kuwait, Bahrain, Libya, Morocco, and Egypt went after protesters, journalists, and human rights defenders critical of their regimes.
Online vigilantism: A threat to justice in Lebanon
The Facebook page “Where is the state?” regularly posts high-quality videos or pictures documenting alleged crimes in Lebanon. Sharing this information breaches these alleged criminals’ right to privacy and endangers their access to justice in the process.
Pressure mounts on Cambodia a year after Kem Ley’s killing
On the one-year anniversary of the death of popular Cambodian activist Kem Ley, civil society organisations from around the world reiterated their call for an independent inquiry.
Statement of Solidarity in Support of MENA HRDs for IFEX25
NGOs around the world ask authorities to stop campaigns of repression against HRDs and civil society organisations in the Middle East and North Africa region