Gohary

Gohary

@ircpresident.bsky.social

Directing programs at the intersection of tech, human rights & media. Alum: @AnmatMedia, @IFEX, @GlobalVoices, AlMasry AlYoum, Engineering.

1,379 Followers 976 Following 153 Posts Joined Jun 2023
4 hours ago
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When Being the Most Reliable Leader Becomes a Liability When an organization faces turbulence like leadership turnover, political infighting, or broken processes, it instinctively leans on its most competent people to restore stability. These leaders…

Stop chasing every fire. If you are the only one holding everything together, your leadership style might be a liability. Read this excellent breakdown on how to step back, build a resilient team, and redefine what it means to be a reliable leader bit.ly/4bHqJfQ

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7 hours ago
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Access Now demands end to Iran’s continued internet blackout amid war Access Now condemns the ongoing near-total internet shutdown in Iran and urgently calls on authorities to immediately restore full internet access.

As authorities in Iran plunge the country into a near-total comms blackout, the need for resilient, censorship-resistant technology has never been greater. @AccessNow is urging the prioritisation of Direct-to-Cell satellite tech to #KeepItOn during crises.

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9 hours ago
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Italian activists and journalist targeted by spyware in 2024, prosecutors confirm Investigation finds three were hacked by Paragon spyware at same time, potentially fuelling questions for government

New findings confirm that the phones of an Italian journalist and two immigration activists were simultaneously infected with commercial spyware. We need urgent, binding regulations to stop governments from weaponising these tools against dissent.

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12 hours ago
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The spy in your pocket: How mercenary malware is silencing African dissent From remote Predator infections in Angola to physical device ‘cracking’ in Kenya, new forensic reports expose how governments are utilising sophisticated commercial tools to shadow journalists and…

Unregulated commercial surveillance is a direct threat to human rights globally. Discover the chilling new findings on how governments in Angola and Kenya are using sophisticated spyware to compromise the safety of prominent critics and journalists

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14 hours ago
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EU moves to allow two years’ jail for families facing deportation The vote on the return regulation on Monday in the European Parliament civil liberties committee now sets the legal stage for likely deportation facilities abroad, as the European Union cracks down…

A new piece by Nikolaj Nielsen details how the EU is moving to allow the imprisonment of migrant families & minors for up to 2 years under a harsh new deportation bill. Read the breakdown of what this means for refugees & migrants

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14 hours ago
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SMEX warns of risks related to scanning QR codes on Israeli leaflets Here are some detailed tips:

Scanning propaganda QR codes poses a severe threat to your digital and physical security. SMEX has issued a vital guide on how to clear your device of potential trackers if you have interacted with these links. Contact their Digital Safety Helpdesk if you need immediate support buff.ly/uQoWIAS

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15 hours ago
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Will NSO’s US Lobbying Pay Off Under Trump? Now, with Friedman, a seasoned Trump insider, at its helm, NSO might finally achieve its long-awaited US comeback, writes Vas Panagiotopoulos.

The mercenary spyware industry is deploying vast resources to influence democratic decision-making. Read this comprehensive breakdown of NSO Group’s multi-million dollar lobbying campaign to re-enter the US market and avoid accountability bit.ly/416mF2w

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5 days ago

The Coalition for Independent Technology Research has filed a lawsuit with the @knightcolumbia.org and @protectdemocracy.org challenging a US State Department policy to revoke or deny visas of non-citizen researchers because of their work studying the societal impacts of technology. (1/4)

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3 days ago

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1 week ago
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sending out copies of COUNTERREVOLUTION IN EGYPT: Sisi’s New Republic by Hossam el-Hamalawy (out May 5th, from @versobooks.bsky.social) this week! let me know if you’d like a review copy

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1 week ago
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Threatening messages target Lebanese phones: delivery tactics and safety guidance - SMEX With the recent escalation of Israel’s war, Lebanon’s residents have reported receiving threatening phone calls and text messages asking them...

Weaponised communications are being used to spread panic in Lebanon. From drone signal interception to caller ID spoofing, read this breakdown of how these threatening messages operate & the steps you must take to protect your safety

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1 week ago
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Russia’s ‘national messenger’ was billed as a platform for the people. It’s dominated by state-run channels. — Meduza Roughly 70 percent of the channels on Russia’s “national messenger,” Max, were registered by government agencies and public institutions at the authorities’ behest, according to an analysis by the…

Billed as a public utility, weaponised as a state mouthpiece. Meduza’s latest feature exposes the reality behind Russia’s national messenger app and the broader push for domestic digital surveillance

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1 week ago
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How the EU is building a dystopian, surveillance-driven, deportation machine Like much recent EU migration legislation, the proposal was presented without a comprehensive fundamental rights impact assessment. Sixteen UN experts have already raised concerns about its…

We cannot let the EU codify the criminalisation of undocumented people. Read this alarming breakdown of how new policies are building a surveillance-driven deportation machine that threatens fundamental rights for all.

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1 week ago
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NO SIGNAL, NO VOICE: New Report Documents Election-Period Internet Shutdown in Uganda : Unwanted Witness Kampala-Uganda, 23 February 2026: Unwanted Witness (UW) and the Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) today release […]

When the internet is shut down, democracy is left in the dark. Read the latest findings on the devastating reality of election-period internet blackouts in Uganda, and why we must fight to protect digital rights.

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1 week ago
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"We are suffering from complete silence": Internet blackout in Iran continues Since airstrikes on Iran began, there has once again been no internet access in the country. Now warnings are issued about consequences, reports sound dramatic.

The internet blackout in Iran is a profound human rights crisis. Discover the devastating reality of this "complete silence" and the urgent need to defend digital rights

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1 week ago
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How Journalists Are Reporting From Iran With No Internet After strikes killed senior Iranian officials, Iran cut off internet access. Journalists are relying on satellite links, encrypted apps, and smuggled footage to report from inside the country.

The fight against authoritarian censorship is a daily battle. Read how brave reporters are defying unprecedented internet blackouts in Iran to ensure their stories are heard and human rights abuses are documented.

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1 week ago
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Eyes of Iran: How the Islamic Republic secretly monitors citizens in real time As they bomb Iran, Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu are calling on its people to rise up against the dictatorial regime, which is shaken but still standing.

Uncovering the digital crackdown. A powerful new report exposes how the Iranian government is spying on citizens to crush dissent. We must hold both the regime and the enablers of this surveillance to account.

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2 weeks ago
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A New Global Grant Program Supporting Cybersecurity Nonprofits | Internet Society Foundation The Common Good Cyber Fund focuses on building a resilient, sustainable ecosystem of global nonprofit organizations working in cybersecurity.

A new funding opportunity for digital defenders. The Common Good Cyber Fund is offering global grants to support the essential work of cybersecurity non-profits. Learn more about the programme and the push to resource our digital infrastructure.

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2 weeks ago
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'Iranians are resilient; they always find ways to speak:' How Iranians are overcoming unprecedented internet censorship Iranians are using tools beyond commercial VPNs to stay connected. And you can help, too.

"Iranians are resilient; they always find ways to speak, even in the dark." As state censors push for permanent digital blackouts, a new piece explores how citizens are turning to sophisticated tools like Tor and Lantern to bypass unprecedented internet censorship.

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2 weeks ago
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When governments pull the plug on dissent, citizens from Iran to Uganda fight to stay online Recent blackouts in Iran, Uganda, and beyond highlight a new front emerging in conflicts around the world: the fight to stay online. Though governments hold most of the power, people are finding ways…

Internet shutdowns are a weapon of authoritarian control, but civil society is refusing to be silenced. Read Ryan Lenora Brown’s latest on the global battle against digital censorship and the tools keeping dissent alive.

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2 weeks ago
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Spyware makers sentenced to prison in Greece for wiretapping politicians and journalists | TechCrunch Tal Dilian and three other Intellexa executives were tried for their role in a scandal dubbed "Greek Watergate," which dates back to 2022.

A landmark ruling in Greece: Intellexa has been sentenced to prison for targeting politicians and journalists. It is a long-awaited step towards justice in the ongoing fight against unregulated commercial surveillance and digital rights abuses.

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2 weeks ago
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Prominent Angolan journalist targeted with Predator spyware An Amnesty International investigation has established that prominent, Angolan journalist, Teixeira Cândido was targeted with Predator spyware in 2024.

Mercenary spyware is fuelling authoritarianism. Amnesty International has documented the hacking of a prominent Angolan journalist using Predator spyware, proving these dangerous tools are still actively targeting civil society. Time for robust accountability!

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2 weeks ago
No to EU law enabling home raids, policing of public services and racial profiling - PICUM FOR ORGANISATIONS: SIGN THE STATEMENT HERE The EU is currently negotiating a Deportation (“Return”) Regulation to expand and normalise immigration raids and surveillance measures across our…

We cannot allow the EU to normalise racial profiling and the policing of public services. Proud to stand with @picumofficial.bsky.social 100+ organisations demanding European policymakers reject the harmful Deportation Regulation. Read the full call to action:

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2 weeks ago
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RightsCon Program This page gives an overview of the program for RightsCon, including our formats and highlights of previous editions

150+ countries, 550+ sessions, one global community. The RightsCon 2026 programme is packed with vital discussions on the future of our digital rights. Register now and join the conversation in Zambia or worldwide bit.ly/4aGRMrb via @accessnow.org

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2 weeks ago
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Meta reportedly wants to add face recognition to smart glasses while privacy advocates are distracted The feature could arrive as soon as this year.

A camera on every face, linked to a database of billions. Meta's push to add 'Name Tag' facial recognition to its smart glasses is a direct threat to our civil liberties and right to privacy. Read the alarming details via @theverge.com

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2 weeks ago
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How ICE Will Spy On Protesters, And How You Can Protect Your Privacy Jake Laperruque explains how ICE’s expanding surveillance tools can track protesters through phones, faces, and vehicles.

ALPRs, facial recognition, and bulk location data: the surveillance infrastructure being used to target immigration activists is alarming. Read this comprehensive breakdown by Jake Laperruque on the tech involved and the privacy safeguards we urgently need.

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2 weeks ago
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AI Meets Cybersecurity: Trust, Governance & Global Security This session will examine how AI development, deployment, governance, and cybersecurity intersect in practice. Drawing on expert perspectives, it will clarif...

Should we wait for an AI Chernobyl to start taking security seriously? A brilliant conversation on why moving deliberately & securing Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability is far more important than unchecked acceleration, via @alexmayoralb.bsky.social

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2 weeks ago
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Artificial Insecurity: access and availability in the age of AI - Access Now In the third part of our blog series, we look at how the availability of systems is impacted by the proliferation of large language models.

When an AI chatbot arbitrarily refuses to answer a prompt, is it a safety feature or outright censorship? The latest from @accessnow.org explores the hidden dangers of LLM refusal mechanisms and how "alignment" often lacks a human rights lens

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2 weeks ago
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Keep It Safe and Secure - European Digital Rights (EDRi) Safe and secure communications and devices allow us to work, socialise, organise, express ourselves, and connect with each other.

When HRDs, journalists, and everyday citizens are under threat, privacy-preserving tech is our first line of defence. It is inspiring to see civil society unite behind the KISS campaign to protect encryption and ban spyware across Europe

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2 weeks ago
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"Encrypt It Already" Campaign Pushes Big Tech on E2E Encryption Security and privacy concerns are growing. The Electronic Frontier Foundation sees encryption as the "best way" to protect user information.

"Convenience must exist alongside privacy, not instead of it." Why @EFF.org is targeting major platforms to stop stalling and implement end-to-end encryption by default

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