June 2023 | Digital Rights Regional Briefs
Danae Tapia, Global Community Manager & Resident Hechicera
The June regional briefs are out!
In the following reports you can find the latest news on digital justice issues in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the MENA region. Each dispatch contains information on Current Opportunities for Digital Rights Defenders, Emerging Topics on Digital Justice, Community News, Regional News and Updates.
This month’s briefs continue to explore legacies of digital injustice while outlining alternatives to the status quo. In Africa, you will navigate the histories, presents and futures of technology’s connectivity paradoxes. We are answering questions and solutions for inclusivity and anti-casteism in the digital rights movements in Asia. From Latin America, you will read what the digital rights organization, Karisma, recommends that the Colombian government do about regulating the delivery apps’ algorithm to improve platform workers’ well-being and labor rights. The MENA brief delves into AI and how it is unfolding in the region’s various surveillance systems.
If you know about groups or individuals working on topics that should be highlighted in our briefs, please contact us! We are particularly interested in issues that are not well covered in the digital rights field in order to expand and diversify the space.
Danae
Global Community Manager
Asia Regional Brief
Africa Regional Brief
Latin America Regional Brief
MENA Regional Brief
Author: Mardiya Siba Yahaya
Mardiya Siba Yahaya is our Africa Community Lead. She is a feminist digital sociologist, researcher and community movement builder whose work extensively investigates the implications of technology surveillance and datafied societies on minoritized genders and communities in the global South. She has a Masters in Sociology from the University of the Witwatersrand, and was awarded the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship in 2021. Mardiya recently participated in the fall 2022 research sprint hosted by the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society on “Digital IDs in Times of Crisis”.
Africa Regional Brief
Current Opportunities for Digital Rights Defenders
Internews is hiring a strategic technologist to lead efforts to strengthen, coordinate, and advance the use of technology across Internews' Internet freedom & Resilience (IFR) programs. Rolling Application.
Apply for SafeSisters’ fellowship program for women Human Rights Defenders. Deadline to apply: June 26, 2023.
Emerging Topics on Digital Justice in Africa
How ‘the Phone Changed Everything’: Histories, Presents and Futures of Technology in Africa
To advance technology and rights in Africa, multidisciplinary collaborations are needed more than ever. In the publication Vertical Atlas, artists, researchers and technologists came together to curate a navigational knowledge tool on the connections and paradoxes between technologies, digital transformations and their social implications within the most marginalized communities and locations.
Nanjala Nyabola. Image’s source: The Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS).
Nanjala Nyabola, an activist and political analyst, begins by explaining the transformations that occurred in Africa, specifically Kenya, when the mobile phone gained momentum. British colonial systems created a rural-urban economy where people in rural areas relied on relatives who lived in urban areas for remittances. These remittances were mostly mediated by predatory companies such as Western Union, who charged high fees and were often affiliated with banks. Yet when the mobile phone gained momentum, innovations such as the mobile money was introduced, which disrupted such bank economies, and made transfers more accessible.
Nyabola highlights that, while the phone was seemingly an object that was considered neutral, ‘one cannot understand how the technology will affect a society unless they understand the society in question’. The specific needs of individuals and communities within Kenya at the time inspired mobile money, an invention considered as ‘moonshot’. However, Nyabola reminds us of the existing contradictions of who governs this said technology and how they have used it to harm and surveil citizens.
Innovation, Public Interest and Dominance
Nii Quaynor, an open source technologist, echoed Nyabola’s sentiments, but from a technical standpoint. Quaynor, in conversation with Nanjira Sambuli, explained that the early internet in Africa required communities of technical groups to advocate for the inclusion of local standpoints in spaces such as the ITU, IGF, WSIS and ICANN in the 90s. Having an open-source internet was one way Africans could contribute to shaping internet standards within an era where resources and expertise was limited. Yet, he also believed that one may not know what people will use the Internet for until it is deployed. Quaynor and Nyabola work draw out the interplay between the social and the technical. Quaynor believes that today we are stuck in a cycle of dominance which rarely benefits Africans, compared to access being the previously shared interest among regions.
Nii Quaynor. Image’s source: Wikipedia.
When Nyabola reminded readers of the existing contradictions within digital innovation, where customer and consumer data has been used by governments to advance punitive tax regimes, surveillance, and instigate political violence along ethnic lines, she alludes to a similar dominance that exists within our states. Part of this is prescriptive, where Quaynor shared that while technical standards need to be strict and prioritize peoples safety, governance of what the Internet is used should not be prescriptive leaving power in the hands of few private companies and states who have stakes in such companies.
The mobile phone remains as the mediator between access, use and innovation for public interest. Yet, it is also an artifact that facilitates harm such as surveillance, targeting, political violence and extractivism. As digital justice practitioners work on designing, deploying and governing inclusive and safe uses of technology and its services for the future, many may have to draw lessons from such histories while navigating the current contradictions between innovation, public interest and dominance. This also involves responding to dynamic uses of technologies we design and deploy within diverse communities.
Revisiting the fundamentals of our digital transformation enables us to ground our inquiry and designs in nuanced realities.
Community News in Africa
Visa and Border Discrimination: Anxieties and Realities of Traveling African Digital Rights Communities
Hundreds of global digital rights defenders were invited to various gatherings across the world this month, most of which were hosted in countries that were not accessible to digital rights defenders in Africa and the global South, in terms of documentation and cost. As in-person events return, so has the experience of the stringent and dehumanizing nature of visa regimes for African communities in the field. Colonial histories and neocolonial presents continue to configure African lives, bodies and territories. Meanwhile geopolitics continue to govern how we access opportunities, conduct our work and engage with each other, where violence has been outsourced to places beyond legal, moral and public scrutiny.
Image’s source: HD Wallpaper.
Community members reported cases of discrimination while traveling, increasing existing anxieties they experience with international travel. While visa regimes and the securitization of borders have long represented a form of racial apartheid, many community members in Africa shared that more privileged colleagues owe people from the global South care when creating spaces for convening. These forms of care, as the community explains, include making intentional decisions on accessibility, creating safe spaces by conducting due diligence on the travel process, and providing up to date information.
Thus far, the onus of feedback and protection has been on the people who experience violent borders and the trauma of discrimination, rather than organizers who have more resources and capacity to make informed decisions. The community leaves with reflection points for future organizers by asking: how can we as digital rights defenders engage in shared solidarity and curate safe spaces for more vulnerable groups in the face of structural discrimination?
Regional News and Updates in Africa
Sunbird AI’s AI-powered site identification tool boosts accuracy in selecting renewable energy sites in Lamwo district in Uganda:
Sunbird AI is Uganda based organization that uses artificial intelligence and data technology to create infrastructure, improve planning and decision making in Africa. Their climate and sustainable energy project has supported the government in providing climate-friendly electrification to villages in Uganda.
The Kenyan Employment and Labour Relations Court has ruled that Meta is the primary employer of content moderators:
In March 2023, 189 content moderators employed by Sama, Meta’s content moderation partner sued the companies for allegedly blacklisting and terminating their contract. Meta had previously bid to be removed from the lawsuit claiming that the content moderators were Sama employees not Meta employees. However, the request was denied by the court. In June 2023, the court ruled Meta as the primary employer of the moderators and Sama as a subcontractor. Meta is contesting this decision.
Author: Astha Rajvanshi
Astha Rajvanshi is an independent journalist based in Mumbai, where she writes on gender, marginalized communities, and human rights across India and South Asia. Recently, she was awarded the Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award by New York University. As part of her reporting in India, she is currently examining tech surveillance and internet shutdowns. Previously, she was a Fellow for the Institute of Current World Affairs in Washington DC. She has also worked for the New York Times Magazine and Reuters in New York. She was born in New Delhi and raised in Sydney as a proud daughter of immigrants.
Asia Regional Brief
Current Opportunities for Digital Rights Defenders in Asia
The CYRILLA Collaborative: Call For Proposals. Join the global initiative to shape digital rights policies in marginalized communities across Latin America, Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Four grants will be awarded to non-profit organizations to support their advocacy-oriented initiatives. Thematic areas include: Digital Rights, Digital Policy, Internet Governance, Internet Freedom, and Data Protection. More info and how to apply here.
Manushya Foundation is hiring a Democracy & Digital Rights Associate to contribute research, advocacy and campaign work under the Democracy and Digital Rights portfolio and oversee the Youth Power Democracy project which aims to resource human rights defenders and ensure youth’s voices are front and center in Thailand’s human rights narrative. It's a full-time position starting on August 1. Apply here. Deadline to apply: June 30.
AccessNow is hiring a Senior Policy Analyst in East Asia, who will work closely with Asia Pacific policy analysts, campaigners, regional leaders, and others around the world to foster international dialogue to ensure that legislation and policies around the region respect and extend human rights in the digital age. Apply here. Deadline to apply: June 26.
AccessNow is hiring an Advocacy Coordinator (South Asia) who will help advance the cause of human rights in the digital age and aid in devising advocacy initiatives, communications and campaigns to support our position on policy discussions broadly affecting privacy, surveillance, data protection, content governance, digital security, internet shutdowns and cybersecurity in South Asia. Apply here. Deadline to apply: June 26.
Emerging Topics on Digital Justice in Asia
Decolonizing The Internet: How Can Digital Rights And Justice Movements Be More Inclusive And Anti-Casteist?
Popular belief about caste is that it is exclusive to India and Hinduism, but as Dr. Murali Shanmugavelan, author of the Critical Caste Tech Studies syllabus and a researcher based at the Oxford Internet Institute notes, caste is a “violently oppressive social classification system that operates across religion throughout South Asia and its diaspora.”
Dalit women. Image’s source: NDLA.
Caste-based discrimination has also filtered down to the Internet, where certain structures are inherently disempowering to non-dominant castes. One example is the Indian matchmaking website, Shadi.com, which allows users to narrow down potential partners from their own caste. Another is the image search on Google or Getty Images, where tagged photos by freelance photographers and content creators depict Brahmins (historically considered a dominant caste) in a positive light and lower caste are associated with terms such as “polluted”, “oppressed” and “victimized”.
Now, with the dawn of the metaverse (Artificial Intelligence, Extended Reality, and Blockchain), machine learning is also being designed in a way that discriminates against caste and affects online experience and knowledge-making through its interactions with the internet and online platforms. A study by Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy shows that approximately 27% of modern Indian families practice untouchability, and historically marginalized groups are excluded from the decision-making process in digital media to communicate caste-based discrimination.
Anti-caste Approach to Algorithmic Fairness
Image’s source: All Indians Matter.
As internet scholars suggest, without an equitable policy and ethical framework, the current caste disparities in offline and online communities will extend to the metaverse. Recent research calls for an anti-caste approach to algorithmic fairness by incorporating insights from Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, a leading figure of the anti-caste movement who wrote India’s constitution, on how caste hierarchies and patriarchies act as barriers to social justice commitments in India.
Dr. Shanmugavelan has three key recommendations to help build a more inclusive internet:
Thoughtful content moderation and filtering on social media platforms
More active and meaningful representation for Dalits (historically seen as a non-dominant caste) in technology and platform building
Caste-sensitive algorithms should be designed to ensure that monitoring and corrections are done extensively so anti-caste sentiments do not go unchecked.
Some more resources can be accessed on the topic here:
May the Myth of Castelessness Die: A thoughtful Q&A with Logic Mag and Dr. Shanmugavelan on what caste is, how it perpetuates on the Internet, and how we can recognize it online.
‘Caste-hate speech: Addressing hate speech based on work and descent’: A report by the International Dalit Solidarity Network examines caste-hate speech with a particular emphasis on digital media. It is based on extensive research and offers numerous real-life examples of caste-hate speech and its relation to caste-based hate crime.
A call for algorithmic justice for SC/STs: An article on Indian Express by Siva Mathiyazhagan that talks about how modern digital India needs to recall Dr Ambedkar's vision of the annihilation of caste in emerging technologies to eradicate caste and build a safe, inclusive, just digital India.
Community News in Asia
At the Asia Digital Rights Perspectives session earlier this month, we discussed the need for more online resources and safety toolkits catering to non-English speaking digital rights communities to support their work. Below, a list of non-exhaustive resources in both English and other languages compiled to (hopefully) help close the language gap. Do you have more Asian-language resources you can share? Email astha@digitalrights.community!
In English:
Totem Project: An online platform that helps journalists and activists use digital security and privacy tools and tactics more effectively in their work.
Tactical Tech’s Digital Enquirer Kit: An e-learning course that guides learners through lessons on how to prevent the spread of misinformation, available on the free platform atingi.org. The course covers topics including media literacy, verification, and how to navigate the internet safely.
Open Briefing’s Holistic Security Toolkit: A curated library of essential resources for specific communities of at-risk civic actors.
The Digital First Aid Kit: A free resource to help rapid responders, digital security trainers, and tech-savvy activists to better protect themselves and the communities they support against the most common types of digital emergencies.
Coconet’s Digital Hygiene 101: How to practice digital safety and security: A checklist of good practices. The article is available in Thai, Indonesian, Chinese and Filipino.
In other languages:
The Earth Defenders Toolkit: a collaborative space for earth defender communities and their allies. It has been translated into Khmer, Swahili, Thai, and Vietnamese in its entirety, in addition to English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French.
Engage Media’s #DigitalSafetyMM: In Thai, a compilation of resources to help ensure digital safety.
Image courtesy Giovana Fleck. Source: Global Voices.
OHCHR just released a new report, “Digital Tech and Civic Space in SE Asia”, on the human rights impacts of new technologies on civic space in South-East Asia. Read it here.
EngageMedia Executive Director Phet Sayo reflects on the Digital Rights Asia-Pacific Assembly.
The Unfreedom Monitor is a project to analyze, document, and report on the growing use of digital communications technology to advance authoritarian governance around the world.
Regional News & Updates in Asia
Thailand's LGBTQ+ community made strides in the last election after three self-identified LGBTQ+ people won MP seats, including one trans woman who hopes to make the education system more inclusive.
The DPP staffers’ statement pointed to a Netflix drama about sexual assault, and urged the party to stand with progressive values and stop playing ignoring sexual harassment.
Attackers are targeting Thai and Burmese activists and human rights defenders on Telegram. Employing heightened digital hygiene practices is critical to avoid phishing and hacking attempts.
This episode of PGP Live at DRAPAC23 features Bradley (not his real name), a social technology researcher who has conducted research on the alternative communication methods in Myanmar following the February 2021 coup.
This sixth feature spotlights Anatman Pictures, a film production company based in Indonesia that creates commercial work to support the production of documentaries on the environment and social justice.
Rising wealth in the region has young professionals ditching cheaper Chinese smartphones for iPhones.
Go summons taxis and the company behind it is Japan's newest unicorn.
In the U.S., TikTok is under scrutiny for perceived censorship. In Vietnam, the government wants the company to meddle more.
Author: Úrsula Schüler
Úrsula Schüler was born and raised in Chile, South America. She studied journalism in her home country and a Digital media marketing postgraduate program in Canada. She has more than seven years of experience working in newspapers and television channel websites, for whom reported two presidential and legislative elections in Chile. She has also done internal communication for universities, companies, and organizations. Spanish is her first language and years ago she was a student representative in high school and her university.
LATAM Regional Brief
Current Opportunities for Digital Rights Defenders in LATAM
The CYRILLA Collaborative: Call for proposals regarding advocacy-oriented initiatives across Latin America, Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Deadline: July 31.
Festival de Datos is happening in Punta del Este, Uruguay from November 7 to 9.
Emerging Topics on Digital Justice in LATAM
How to Tame the Delivery Apps’ Algorithm? Karisma from Colombia Recommends How to Improve Welfare of Riders
Algorithms are part of our life. They manage our social media, delivery apps, music apps, and streaming service preferences. However, what happens when they also manage your work, tasks, measure your work performance and even define your salary?
In March 2023, the Colombian Government introduced its new Labour Reform bill proposal into the Congress. The legal text intends to modify several articles of their Labor Code and includes a section regarding platform work particularly about delivery workers. While the majority of the agents started to discuss the terms regarding the labor law point of view, Karisma, a Colombian foundation dedicated to digital technology and human rights, contributed to the discussion through their report “Taming the algorithm: Recommendations to improve welfare of riders of delivery apps” where they mostly referred to improve the apps’ “algorithmic management”.
The Main Proposals
One of Karisma’s main proposals is that the algorithms used by the delivery apps must accurately measure the distances and assign the corresponding compensation to the workers as established by the app. They also propose that the algorithms should consider the risk conditions (weather, security of the area, etc.) when establishing the distance and compensation for the trip. These risks should also be taken into account before blocking delivery workers' accounts.
Karisma addressed that delivery apps must have a support system that guarantees communication between the company and the delivery employee. This system should allow drivers to report problems while traveling or at home and provide meaningful contact when drivers are blocked or suspended. Additionally, they recommended that delivery apps should provide a clear and precise explanation of the reasons behind a worker’s account block or suspension and establish effective mending mechanisms.
Why Is Regulating Algorithm Management Important?
We wanted to know more about this report and the policy proposals related to algorithm management for delivery workers, so we spoke to Juan de Brigard, Coordinator for Autonomy and Dignity in Karisma.
Team CommUNITY (TCU): Why did you focus on "algorithmic management" regulation, rather than labor reform in your recommendations?
Juan de Brigard, Coordinator for Autonomy and Dignity in Karisma.
Juan: We focus our research on algorithmic management governance issues because public policy decisions related to labor [reforms] take a long time to be discussed and approved, in addition to the fact that there are many political forces in contention in them. In this sense, they are a mechanism for very slow change, although very important, to improve the quality of life of working people. Karisma's expertise is in technology and human rights issues and that is why our regulation proposal, which does not depend on slow changes such as labor reforms, focuses on the adjustments that can be made to technology itself through direct regulation from the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications.
TCU: The recommendations include that the apps’ algorithms should consider weather and distances, for example. Are these factors currently not considered at all in Colombia?
Juan: Currently, they are considered to a certain extent. For example, there are dynamic rates for rain and the greater the distance, the higher the price. However, the platform can adjust them as desired. In accordance with our proposal, the Ministry could define minimum standards in this regard that guarantee that the platform cannot abuse the delivery workers without limits.
TCU: What benefits do you see in incorporating algorithms into team management and workflows, and why should we focus on improving them?
Juan: The benefits of incorporating algorithms are very clear for platforms: they allow lowering costs, maximizing profits and optimizing value extraction by pushing business models to increasingly close the "gaps" through which revenues escape. This means that they reduce the deadtime between orders, or excessive times for deliveries, among others. This use of algorithms to optimize labor exploitation has become, in practice, a legal "loophole" that allows a person who works eight hours a day to earn less than a minimum wage or to be dismissed (blocked by the application) without prior notice and without the possibility of contesting the decision. In this sense, focusing on regulating algorithms is setting very clear and specific limits to what the platforms can or cannot do without having to change the entire legislative framework of labor law.
Community News in LATAM
RightsCon 2023 Was Held in Costa Rica: the Visa and Passport Border Systems Continued to Exclude a Large Number of Participants
Digital Rights Defenders (DRDs) around the globe participated in the 12th edition of the RightsCon 2023 held in Costa Rica from June 5 to 8. The space focuses on human rights in the digital age and people were looking forward to joining for this in-person event. Members of the Latin American community attended, networked, and presented their research and projects. You can visit some of the captivating presentations here.
Unfortunately, several attendants coming from the Global South reported that the visa and passport border systems discriminated against black people, indigenous people and people of color during the process and didn’t allow some participants traveling to Costa Rica. As the convener of RightsCon Costa Rica, AccessNow released a statement rejecting the situation and recognizing that 300+ people from 64 countries were excluded by an announced visa-on-arrival process which the Costa Rican authorities failed to uphold. This situation also affected some Latin American DRDs who were counting on this measure for their trip. "We are taking a moment for serious reflection around how we could have better protected RightsCon community members from the harms they have experienced", AccessNow wrote in their statement.
“Latin America in a Glimpse”: Investigations Regarding Gaps and Inequities in Digital Environments
The eighth edition of “Latin America in a Glimpse” is composed of four investigations focused on the idea of gaps as a complex, multifactorial reality associated with a series of structural inequities that shape our experiences in digital environments. The investigations were conducted by Latin American organizations: Corporación Cambio Sostenible of Colombia, Fundación Openlab of Ecuador, Espacio Público of Venezuela and MariaLab of Brazil.
Latin America Meetup Hosted by Team CommUNITY
The Latin America Meetup hosted by Team CommUnity (TCU) was held on June 28. You can read the notes of the meetup here.
Regional News and Updates in LATAM
A group of deputies from Costa Rica presented a bill which aims to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in the country. The proposal was prepared entirely by the ChatGPT-4 tool.
Magic Software Argentina acknowledged having been hacked in 2015. Despite that, it will be in charge of the new elections in the City of Buenos Aires.
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Author: Islam al Khatib
Islam al Khatib is a Palestinian feminist born and raised in Beirut. She researches feminism(s), hegemonies in the 'technocene', ecologies, and grief. Her work focuses on the methods and the processes with which we produce knowledge. She has a Masters in Gender, Media and Culture from Goldsmiths, University of London, where she also worked as the Students' Union Welfare and Liberation officer. She is a member of Wiki Gender.
MENA Regional Brief
Current Opportunities for Digital Rights Defenders in MENA
Bread&Net2023: call for proposals. Deadline: June 30. Bread&Net serves as an inclusive and secure unconference that promotes the exchange of knowledge, resources, and strategies to uphold human rights in a technology-driven world. Annually, a diverse range of participants, including activists, technologists, journalists, researchers, lawyers, and academics, convene at this event to strengthen the digital rights movement in the West Asia and North Africa (WANA) region. The unconference encourages participants to actively contribute by proposing sessions that address these pertinent topics. For more info, click here.
The CYRILLA Collaborative: Call For Proposals. Deadline: July 31. The CYRILLA Collaborative is a global initiative focused on mapping and analyzing the impact of legal frameworks on digital environments, particularly in the Global South. It is offering four grants for advocacy-oriented initiatives that aim to highlight and influence digital rights policies impacting marginalized communities in specific regions. Non-profit, non-governmental organizations with a tangible presence in the target region and active engagement in digital rights policy and advocacy are eligible to apply. Applicants are required to submit a cover letter, a proposal outlining their previous experience and the project's theme, scope, methodology, objectives, and potential risks, along with a proposed budget of up to 5,000. Click here for more information.
Emerging Topics on Digital Justice in MENA
Artificial Intelligence Impact on the MENA Region
Discussions and debates regarding artificial intelligence (AI) have garnered considerable attention globally, fluctuating between extreme hype and fear. Conversations on AI in the MENA region are fueled by concerns about how this emerging technology could potentially be used to suppress voices and stifle dissent. The fear of AI being weaponized as a tool to silence individuals and curtail freedom of expression has sparked a vibrant discourse, highlighting the need for robust regulations and safeguards to ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI across the region.
According to a new report by Sarah Cupler from SMEX, different countries in the region, such as the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait, are increasingly adopting AI technologies to boost their economies and improve services. However, most of these countries lack proper regulations for AI, relying on non-binding principles instead. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) leads the region in AI implementation, particularly in the public sector, raising concerns about vulnerable populations and essential services. Surveillance technologies, such as facial recognition and predictive policing, are being used in the UAE and the Israeli occupation, amplifying state power and potentially infringing on privacy rights.
Different Uses: Facial Recognition, Surveillance and Efficiency in the Energy Sector
The Israeli occupation, for example, is already employing advanced facial recognition tech enhanced by AI. Amnesty International's latest findings reveal how the utilization of facial recognition technology by Israeli authorities has become a significant tool for exerting control and suppressing Palestinians. North African countries like Algeria, Tunisia, and Egypt are in the early stages of AI adoption, but the lack of regulatory frameworks and data privacy measures raises concerns about how data is being used and stored.
A recent report by PwC highlights the potential impact of AI in the region, estimating that AI could contribute up to $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. The region accounts for 2% of the total global benefits of AI, with Saudi Arabia projected to experience the largest gains, contributing over $135.2 billion to its economy, equivalent to 12.4% of its Gross domestic product (GDP). The UAE is expected to see the highest relative impact, close to 14% of its GDP. The region's investment in AI technology, as reflected in its high ranking on the Global Innovation Index, positions it for disruptive market transformations. However, as the adoption of AI increases, concerns related to human rights must be urgently addressed, as these fast changes are happening through regimes that continue to violate digital rights.
OpenAI Co-Founder & CEO Sam Altman. Image’s source: Wikimedia Commons.
The energy sector is attracting substantial AI investment to not only diversify away from oil and gas but also improve efficiency. Companies like the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) have already implemented machine learning to generate scenarios and forecast operations, resulting in significant business value. The UAE has also hosted major AI summits and was visited by OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman (right after his visit to Occupied Palestine).
Saudi Arabia, for instance, aims to train 20,000 data and AI specialists by 2030, aligning with its Vision 2030 goals that heavily involve data and AI. The establishment of institutions like the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in the UAE and collaborations with universities in Qatar reflect the authorities real collective economic and maybe authoritative interest in enhancing AI frameworks. The rapid development of AI sectors in countries that heavily rely on migrant labor and have a history of workers' rights violations raises concerns about the treatment of workers behind the scenes. The high demand for labor in the AI sector, combined with the urgency to develop and implement AI technologies, could exacerbate these issues and further marginalize vulnerable workers.
Additionally, this opens space for AI-driven surveillance technologies. One notable example of this is the deployment of facial recognition technology. Facial recognition algorithms, powered by AI, can identify and track individuals in real-time using video feeds from surveillance cameras. The use of facial recognition in the MENA region has allowed different states to spearhead citizen surveillance, particularly Gulf states, as explained in this report by the Gulf Centre for Human Rights. Companies specializing in AI and surveillance, including Hikvision, Huawei, and NSO Group, have been involved in providing equipment, expertise, and software solutions to governments in the region, such as Morocco, Bahrain and the UAE.
It is important to note that access to information regarding new AI tech in the region is going to be a challenge especially when it comes to tracking money and cross border collaboration. It is this information needed to estimate how the next decade in the region is going to look like.
Community News in MENA
Fighting mis/disinformation in Sudan
In Sudan, social media platforms have become battlegrounds for months-long disinformation war. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been relying on social media to spread false reports and news. According to this article by Ali Sam Suleiman published by SMEX, the RSF relies heavily on Twitter and uses fake accounts and inauthentic tactics to spread its agenda and influence both local and international opinions. Meanwhile, the Sudanese army employs defensive disinformation strategies on the platform to boost troop morale and maintain public support for the government.
Image’s source: SMEX.
The RSF's Twitter account, boasting over 100,000 followers, plays a central role in disseminating disinformation. It operates with impunity despite the group's record of committing grave human rights violations in Sudan. This raises concerns about Twitter's commitment to safeguarding human rights. The RSF has been spreading false information, including claims of complete control over Khartoum, the Sudanese capital. However, trusted media agencies and reliable sources have reported ongoing fighting, contradicting these assertions.
During a Glitter Meetup organized by TCU with Digital Rights Lab, an initiative created by Sudanese digital rights researchers in November 2022, we learned about the conflict’s severe repercussions on Sudan's telecom infrastructure, including widespread damage and disruptions to internet services provided by various Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The telecom infrastructure suffered due to power shortages or outages, impacting the operation of telecom devices. Security concerns prevented ISPs' workers from delivering fuel or spare parts necessary for maintenance.
Notably, the RSF took control of the Sudatel Data Center, causing a disruption in internet access for over 24 hours. Moreover, reports indicate privacy violations as the RSF inspects people's phones, occasionally confiscating them under the pretext of "security concerns." It is worth mentioning that the RSF acquired the Israeli Spyware "The Predator" in September.
We are again sharing a list of resources that could help defenders at risk.
Urgent Action Fund - Africa: UAF provides emergency grants for WHRDs at risk.
Front Line Defenders - Protection Grants: Front Line Defenders provides emergency relocation and security support to HRDs at risk, including relocation assistance and safe housing.
Canada Global Refugee Stream for Human Rights Defenders: The Canadian government has a dedicated refugee stream for human rights defenders for resettlement to Canada.
Journalists in Distress Network: Resources for journalists who have received serious threats or are in distress in relation to their work, and may need emergency relocation.
ProtectDefenders.eu: range of services to human rights defenders at risk, including an emergency helpline (run by Front Line Defenders), emergency grants, and temporary relocation.
Regional News and Updates in MENA
Egypt’s New Tech Tax
Numerous international companies, including Google and Zoom, have recently made an announcement regarding the implementation of value-added tax (VAT) on their services in Egypt. Starting from July 1st, these companies will begin charging a 14 percent VAT on their services, as per Egyptian tax regulations. Users who do not provide an Egyptian tax identification number will be subject to this tax. The decision to impose VAT on electronic services stems from amendments made to Egypt's value-added tax law in March. These amendments extend the reach of VAT to non-resident digital and remote service providers, encompassing transactions conducted through electronic distribution platforms such as websites, internet portals, online stores, and other virtual marketplaces that connect suppliers with customers.
It is worth mentioning that in January 2018, the UAE introduced a 5% value-added tax (VAT) on certain digital services provided by non-resident companies. The tax applies to a range of digital services, including online advertising, software services, and subscription-based digital taxes in the UAE.
The implementation of the digital services tax in the UAE has had an impact on the usage of affected services. Some companies subject to the tax have adjusted their pricing structures to incorporate the additional tax, resulting in increased costs for users. As a result, individuals and businesses in the UAE reconsidered their usage of these services due to the higher prices.
Saudi Arabia’s Monitoring of Snapchat
Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Image’s source: Wikimedia Commons.
According to The Guardian, Saudi state media has issued a warning stating that it is a criminal offense to "insult" authorities using social media apps such as Snapchat.
Recent court documents suggest that Snapchat users in Saudi Arabia have faced legal consequences for their posts. For example, Manahel al-Otaibi was arrested for posting a private picture on Snapchat that showed her not wearing an abaya, leading to charges of indecent dress. Another influencer, Mansour Al-Raqiba, was arrested for criticizing Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's economic plan on social media and reportedly sentenced to 27 years in prison.
There have been concerns about the privacy of Snapchat content in Saudi Arabia. The company's website states that it may provide Snapchat account records to law enforcement and governmental agencies outside the US in response to a legal process authorized in the requesting country. The warning from Saudi state media, featuring an imprisoned man who regretted posting an insulting tweet, serves as a clear message to refrain from any criticism or comments that could be deemed insulting.