SMEX

Access Now - #KeepItOn: Syrian government must restore internet access and respect rights in Suwayda We call on the Syrian government to immediately and fully restore internet access and to ensure the protection of people’s rights in Suwayda.

We’ve joined @accessnow.org and 16 organizations in calling on the Syrian government to #KeepItOn and immediately restore internet access in Suwayda.

Shutdowns block access to emergency aid, disrupt essential services, and silence those documenting abuses.
www.accessnow.org/press-releas...

To reform Lebanon’s telecom sector, start with better governance - SMEX In 2024, frequent telecom outages caused by continued Israeli attacks on crucial infrastructure left thousands of families in the South...

In this piece, we make the case that meaningful reform won’t come from technical fixes alone; it must start good governance.

🔗 Read the full analysis here
smex.org/to-reform-le...

To reform Lebanon’s telecom sector, start with better governance - SMEX In 2024, frequent telecom outages caused by continued Israeli attacks on crucial infrastructure left thousands of families in the South...

Often referred to as “Lebanon’s oil,” the telecom sector is one of the country’s most lucrative sectors. Yet, decades of corruption, mismanagement, and a lack of oversight still hinder the sector’s development and reforms.

Syrians report deliberate internet shutdowns amid Sweida attacks <p>Last Friday, the Syrian governorate of Sweida witnessed a complete internet shutdown amid telecommunications disruptions and electricity blackouts. This incident…</p>

Syrian authorities must secure internet access in #Sweida at all costs. Telecom blackouts aid the dangerous spread of fabricated news while disconnecting people from one another.
smex.org/syrians-repo...

When Transparency Fails: Meta’s Political Ad Policy During Israel’s War on Gaza <p>Since October 2023, both pro-Palestinian groups and their opponents have increasingly relied on online political ads to shape public discourse….</p>

We analyzed 4,500+ ads on social media platforms during key moments in Israel’s war on Gaza. Pro-Palestinian ads, even coming from humanitarian orgs, were removed faster and more often than pro-Israeli ones that violated the same rules.

Read the full findings: smex.org/when-transpa...

“These flaws not only silence Palestinian perspectives but hinder civil society’s ability to assess whether content moderation practices are applied fairly.” Metehan Durmaz, SMEX

#Palestine 🇵🇸 Biased takedowns. Opaque systems. Disappearing transparency tools. @SMEX.org’s latest research shows how #Meta’s political ad policies fail to protect digital rights and obstruct fair oversight by civil society. buff.ly/RCx2pQo

Egypt court removes activist Alaa Abdel Fattah from terror list The ruling issued by Cairo’s Criminal Court said that investigations no longer showed evidence of Alaa Abdel Fattah’s involvement with the Muslim Brotherhood.

After 10 months of his mother’s hunger strike, Egypt removed Alaa Abdel Fattah from its terrorism list. Yet he remains imprisoned without charges.

Egypt must #FreeAlaa now.
@freedomforalaa.bsky.social

newarab.com/news/egypt-c...

Home - 7or A non-profit organization that works to advocate Palestinian digital rights in order to achieve a fair, safe and free digital space.

You can also report this to The Palestinian Observatory of Digital Rights Violations, run by Palestinian digital rights organization 7amleh: 7or.7amleh.org

You can appeal any enforcement decision, including suspension or termination, by emailing moderation@blueskyweb.xyz. It’s probably best to explain in English. Read our blog post here for a guide on what to say when you appeal.
madr.network/bluesky-is-s...

Your account was likely marked as “spam” or as an attempt to “circumvent or evade moderation actions” (Community guidelines are here in English, but they aren’t in Arabic yet: bsky.social/about/suppor.... For our unofficial translation click below.

We've extended the deadline to submit a proposal for Bread&Net 2025! If you've got ideas, we want to hear them. ALL of them!
breadandnet.org

CPJ, partners: Tunisian authorities must release of Sonia Dahmani, end misuse of cybercrime Decree-Law 54 - Committee to Protect Journalists New York, July 10, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 17 other press freedom and human rights organizations on July 10 in a statement condemning Tunisia’s ongoing crackdown on freedom of...

We join @pressfreedom.bsky.social and global human rights groups in calling for the immediate release of Sonia Dahmani, a Tunisian lawyer unjustly imprisoned under Decree 54 for exercising free expression.

📝 Read the joint statement:
cpj.org?p=496431

@smex.org' Bread&Net is back this October in Beirut! This unconference brings together activists, technologists, researchers, and artists from across West Asia and North Africa to explore the intersection of tech, freedom, and justice. Submit your proposal before July 15. buff.ly/8KXhnwm

Meta AI’s darker side <p>AI chatbots have become more and more integrated in the lives of millions since 2022. Beyond technical assistance and finding…</p>

But many users didn’t realize that sensitive chats were sometimes published to a public “explore” feed without clear warning.

For more information on Meta's latest AI privacy breach, read our latest article by policy analyst Metehan Durmaz on our website: smex.org/meta-ais-dar...

Unlike ChatGPT, the new Meta AI lives INSIDE your DMs and feeds. It can answer questions, draft messages, and even give advice.

In mid-June, Meta unknowingly shared people’s private chats with its AI bots for everyone to browse. Private medical, financial, and confessional prompts ended up publicly viewable, eerily reminiscent of AOL’s 2006 privacy scandal.

Meta AI’s darker side <p>AI chatbots have become more and more integrated in the lives of millions since 2022. Beyond technical assistance and finding…</p>

Imagine waking up to find your most intimate conversations dumped in a pool of confessions on Instagram.

How could something go so wrong?
smex.org/meta-ais-dar...

📢 We’re excited to share that Lebanon IGF 2025 will take place on 2-3 December 2025, hosted by the American University of Beirut at the Beirut Digital District!

Workshop proposals are now open! Submit an idea for a session by August 3, 2025.

🔗 Details & submission form: igflebanon.org/workshop/

WhatsApp gets a little worse with AI <p>Last week, Meta announced that WhatsApp will now feature targeted ads. As many news articles and comments from civil society…</p>

What does Whatsapp's new AI chatbot mean for privacy?

It's not great, but you can still do a few things to make sure your data is *somewhat protected.

Tech policy expert Dia Kayyali walks us through the risks and alternatives.
smex.org/whatsapp-get...

WhatsApp gets a little worse with AI - SMEX Last week, Meta announced that WhatsApp will now feature targeted ads. As many news articles and comments from civil society...

#Global 🌐 With ads and #AI added to #WhatsApp, @SMEX.org reveals how Meta is eroding user privacy and raising risks for those needing secure communication.

Access Now - Bahrain: halt repressive amendments to the press law Access Now calls on Bahrain’s Shura Council to reject the government’s proposed amendments to the Law on Press, Printing, and Publishing.

We are joining eight human rights organizations to denounce #Bahrain's new repressive amendments to the press law. Read the full statement here. ⬇️
www.accessnow.org/press-releas...
@accessnow.org

Tech at the Service of Occupation <p>A recent investigation by Israeli media confirmed that the occupation has been relying on tech giants’ cloud services to store…</p>

🚨 A new report by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese exposes corporate complicity in the genocide of Palestinians, naming tech giants like Google and Amazon.

We wrote about this last year and the warnings still stand.

Read our piece: smex.org/tech-at-the-...

Just this week, President Trump signed an order lifting sanctions on Syria. Our friends at @accessnow.org explain what this will mean for Syria’s digital future: www.accessnow.org/syria-sancti...

CPJ, 8 others urge Bahrain to halt repressive amendments to press law - Committee to Protect Journalists The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on Bahrain’s Shura Council to reject the government’s proposed amendments to the Law on Press, Printing, and Publishing (Decree-Law No. 47 of 2002)…

#Bahrain 🇧🇭 @pressfreedom.bsky.social and 8 rights groups warn that proposed press law amendments could entrench repression, despite claims of reform. Vague licensing rules and continued use of anti-terror laws threaten online expression and press freedom. buff.ly/P7SOOr7 @smex.org

SMEX stands in solidarity with Laila Soueif and demands the immediate release of her son, his continued detention is a violation of basic rights and a failure of justice. #FreeAlaa #SaveLaila
@freedomforalaa.bsky.social

💼 @smex.org‬‬‬ is #hiring a Communications Manager! Deadline: June 19. See this and other job openings in our Digital Rights Job Board: buff.ly/3BcDSOJ #TechJobs #DRJobs #JobSearch

💼 @smex.org‬‬‬ is #hiring a Website Development Service! Deadline: June 20. See this and other job openings in our Digital Rights Job Board: buff.ly/3BcDSOJ #TechJobs #DRJobs #JobSearch

Meet the panelists!

Apar Gupta @internetfreedom.bsky.social
@davidakaye.bsky.social
@monajem.bsky.social @smex.org

Looking for a wrap-up of digital rights news and updates from the WANA region? 📨 Subscribe to #TheByte, our monthly newsletter. From this month's issue: AI Investments in the Gulf, Starlink in Lebanon, job openings, and Bread&Net 2025
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We invite you to join us or connect with us to discuss how multi-stakeholder collaboration can shape an internet that is open, free, and safe for all.