Global Voices Advocacy » Egypt

New Book on Global Struggle for Internet Freedom

Bernardo Parrella — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:26:18 +0000

How do we ensure that the Internet develops in a way that is compatible with democracy? Given the strong push provided by social media to the recent uprisings in the Middle East region and elsewhere, how can people ensure that the same tools are not being used for government censorship and surveillance (often with more than a little help from Western technology companies)? And ultimately, how can we stop thinking of ourselves as passive “users” of technology but rather as “netizens” who take ownership and responsibility for our digital future?

These questions provide the general framework for discussion in Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle For Internet Freedom, a new book by Rebecca McKinnon, co-founder of Global Voices (and co-author of the twice-monthly Netizen Report on GV Advocacy).

A comprehensive and timely effort, it is a call to action for every blogger or user of Twitter or Facebook, and particularly for cyber-activists at large, to collectively address the urgent issue of how technology should be governed to support the rights and liberties of citizens around the world. With a rigorous analysis and a positive tone, the final message is to get involved in a struggle that all of us have the power and ability to influence (even in small ways), if we only try to understand the complex forces at work, and how we might help shape them.

Divided in five major sections (Disruptions; Control 2.0; Democracy’s challenges; Sovereigns of cyberspace; What is to be done?), the book covers a variety of events over the past decade and is quite up to date, with parts devoted to the Arab Spring and the Egyptian government’s surveillance capabilities, privacy and control in Western democracies, and the rise of “Facebookistan and Googledom”. The book's companion website offers fresh updates and more resources.

The Global Voices network is mentioned here and there, with direct quotes and references. For instance, the book preface speaks briefly about the community's inception, growth, and crucial role in recent events:

As protests erupted in Tunisia in late 2010 and demonstrations spread around the Middle East and North Africa in early 2011, Global Voices contributors worked around the clock to spread information about what was happening in multiple languages, on our own site as well as Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms.

The first part of the book focuses on interconnections in technology, society and business that fueled the Internet's development so far, giving rise to a “digital commons” that includes innovative practices, digital activism, and people's empowerment. This is an exciting environment that nonetheless faces opposition, defined as “Control 2.0”: “…how opaque, unaccountable relationships with Internet and telecommunications companies enables authoritarian governments to control and manipulate citizens.”

China is a primary case study here, with a detailed description of its refined censorship system and recent developments to maintain authoritarian control, while at the same time enabling, “…high levels of lively and even contentious online debate and deliberation, within certain limits.”

After describing similar (or worse) situations in countries such as Iran, Pakistan and Syria, the focus shifts to Western democracies — who unfortunately appear inclined to emulate authoritarian regimes, even if in subtle and insidious ways. That is, technology companies are establishing equally opaque and unaccountable relationships with government agencies, and fail to, “…take responsibility for their power over citizens’ political lives, and their lack of accountability in the exercise of that power.”

Image © Shutterstock.com

The various examples discussed here include WikiLeaks, privacy complaints on Facebook, ‘Big Brother' Apple, and Net Neutrality. Along with the on-going battle about intellectual property vs. free speech and sharing (see the global initiative against SOPA-PIPA, and the recent ‘selective censorship‘ announced by Twitter). Also addressed are lesser-known issues, such as a 2011 proposal to create a “single European cyberspace” that would block “illicit content” at Europe’s borders.

Finally, the last section of the book attempts to answer the question of “What is to be done?”, proposing the development of a Netizen-centric Internet. This part explores efforts by some governments, a few companies, and a growing number of concerned citizens to address the threats to freedom in cyberspace through new initiatives and movements. Some suggestions include: boosting corporate transparency; building processes for corporate engagement with users, customers, and other stakeholders; and building a more citizen-driven information environment.

At the end of the day, this Struggle For Internet Freedom is taking place here and now — in Arab countries, in East Asia and even in Western nations. It is a common struggle, and it is up to each and all of us, as netizens and citizens of the world, to monitor the state of affairs and make sure the Internet remains a force for freedom of expression and political liberation — rather than a tool for alienation, censorship and repression.

Egyptian veteran blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah released

Rasha Abdulla — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 13:50:36 +0000

By Rasha Abdulla

Egyptian veteran blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah has finally been released pending investigation from the Cairo Criminal Court yesterday after being detained for 56 days.

He comes home to his family and his 20-day-old son, who was born while his daddy was detained. Cute little Khaled was named after Egypt’s martyr, Khaled Said, who was brutally beaten to death by police informants outside an Internet café in Alexandria on June 6, 2010.

I was with Alaa’s family yesterday as we started the day at the Cairo Criminal Court, where a real investigation finally started. My tweet at that point was:

At Cairo criminal court with Alaa's family. Alaa is inside. Waiting for session. Hoping for the best. #FreeAlaa

— Rasha Abdulla (@RashaAbdulla) December 25, 2011

Alaa has been detained by military court after refusing to answer any questions directed at him and instead pleading silence as a sign of not recognizing military trials for civilians as legitimate. He knew there would be a price to pay for that. And indeed pay he did. Alaa’s case was finally transferred to a civilian judge recently. That judge yesterday re-started the investigation process, and soon afterwards released Alaa pending investigations.

Alaa Abdel fattah has just been released. Great great joy! I can't describe the feelings

— Rasha Abdulla (@RashaAbdulla) December 25, 2011

Alaa had to go back to Torah prison, his detention place, for his release orders to be processed. We followed him to Torah, where a while later we were told he was transferred to Cairo Central Security, so we rushed over there.

We are now at Cairo central security waiting to see if Alaa will be released from here or from a police station. Hoping to leave with him.

— Rasha Abdulla (@RashaAbdulla) December 25, 2011

We waited outside Cairo Central Security for close to three hours. Finally, I tweeted the following:

علاء علي الاسفلت yfrog.com/kke5tjej Alaa is free

— Rasha Abdulla (@RashaAbdulla) December 25, 2011

Alaa was finally free. The moment we’ve all been waiting for for 56 days. A sleuth of media was waiting for him, and he immediately started his fierce attacks against military rule. Alaa told the media that the real triumph would only come when the army generals who shot the protesters at Maspiro would be put through a fair trial. A mini protest followed, “Down with military rule.”

And where would Alaa’s first stop be, in prison clothes, but his beloved Tahrir Square:

احنا طالعين مع علاء علي التحرير .. going with Alaa to Tahrir

— Rasha Abdulla (@RashaAbdulla) December 25, 2011

Alaa was treated like a celebrity in Tahrir. People rushed at him to say their hellos and hug him. Friends who learned he was free from Twitter joined us in Tahrir. Alaa immediately delved into a passionate impromptu speech about what the revolution means, and what should happen next.

علاء من الزنزانة إلي التحرير Alaa straight from prison to Tahrir yfrog.com/kljmqelj

— Rasha Abdulla (@RashaAbdulla) December 25, 2011

Although he kept repeating to his followers that he’s just a foot soldier in the revolution and that he needs time for himself and to be with his family and new born, I was again reminded of why he’s so important to the revolution and why he was such a threat to the military council. Alaa is a natural leader, he posses such charisma, and yet is so true to himself and down to earth that he inspires revolutionaries. People love to be around him, to hear him talk, to listen to whatever he has to say. With great organizational skills added to his qualities, he manages to get people to actually do stuff, to plan things that seem impossible, and to get them done. Or at least to try and keep trying and never lose hope. Hope is the keyword here. And that’s what a leader is about. Alaa is an inspiration. We’re so happy he’s finally free.

We (myself, a couple of friends, and his family) headed from Tahrir to Alaa’s parents’ house, where he finally had a chance to enjoy his family, his wife activist and blogger Manal Hassan, who endured his absence as her pregnancy was coming to term, and his precious Khaled.

And here’s my favorite tweet of all.

@Alaa and cute little Khaled yfrog.com/mnom4hj @manal @monasosh #Alaaisfree

— Rasha Abdulla (@RashaAbdulla) December 25, 2011

Egypt: Military Court Refuses Alaa Abdel Fattah's Appeal

Rasha Abdulla — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 10:45:11 +0000

An appeal filed by Egypt’s veteran blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah for his release pending investigation has been denied (Nov. 3) by a Cairo military court. Abdel Fattah was detained on October 30 for 15 days after refusing to be interrogated by a military court, and insisting on his right to be investigated before a civilian court.

Abdel Fattah’s lawyers argued, among other things, that he was a no-flight risk since he was originally in San Francisco when the court summoned him, and he returned a few days later to appear before the court the next day.

It is therefore evident that he is not trying to escape trial. Instead, he insists on his civilian right to being tried before a civilian court, especially that the military is itself accused in the Maspero case for which he is being investigated.

Following the denial of appeal, Abdel Fattah was transferred to Tora prison, which has much better living conditions than the appeals prison he was originally in. He had published an article in Al Shorouk newspaper [in Arabic] and the Guardian [in English] in which he explained that the conditions at the appeals prison are simply inhumane, and declared that his imprisonment is a return to the post-revolution Mubarak days. Abdel Fattah had previously been detained under Mubarak for 45 days in 2006 after participating in a protest in support of an independent judiciary.

A second blog post by Abdel Fattah [a translation of which is available here] was published on the award-winning blog Manal and Alaa Bit Bucket (manalaa.net), which is maintained by the blogger and his wife as one of the first and most popular blogs in Egypt and the Arab world. In his second post from behind bars, Alaa said he was offered and refused a deal to be released if he stops attacking Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the head of the Supreme Council of Armed Forces, Egypt’s current ruling authority.

On a more personal note, Alaa reveals a graceful self-embarrassment at having asked to be transferred to a more humane prison, thus having to leave other cell mates behind. He tells his readers that although he was brave enough to face imprisonment, he wasn’t brave enough to hear the opinion of his nine-month pregnant wife, Manal, in his decision to remain silent before the military prosecutor, which they knew would probably lead to detention. He knew she would support him anyway, he says. He ends his blog on a note of gratitude, crediting any bit of courage that he has to the influence of his mother, his younger sisters, and his wife, whose being separated from is the hardest part of detention.

Egyptian Blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah Detained for 15 Days Pending Military Investigation

Rasha Abdulla — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:15:28 +0000

Egypt’s veteran blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah (@alaa) was detained today (Sunday, Oct. 30) for 15 days pending investigation after refusing to be interrogated by a military investigator, insisting on his right to be tried before a civil court.

Alaa was called in for investigation last week in light of the Maspiro events in Cairo, where 27 people died and many more were injured after the army cracked down on a Christian-majority demonstration. Alaa was very active in the aftermath of these tragic events, and spent two days at the morgue alongside other activists in solidarity with the victims’ families, while trying to convince them to agree to autopsies and trying to make sure the reports of the autopsies are correctly documented. Alaa wrote a very moving piece of that experience in Al Shorouk newspaper (a translation of which can be found here) in which he repeatedly reminded everyone that solidarity is the way out of any problems in Egypt.

Alaa was in San Francisco when he was called to the investigation last week. His father, veteran human rights lawyer Ahmed Seif El Islam Abdel Fattah, appeared in court and asked for the case to be postponed. Alaa came back to Cairo on Saturday afternoon and appeared in court on Sunday morning. The military prosecutor has filed five charges against him including demonstrating, inciting to demonstrate, assaulting military personnel, destroying public property, and stealing military weapons. Alaa, whose sister Mona Seif (@monasosh) is one of the founders of the No to Military Trials for Civilians group, insisted to be interrogated before a civic judge, especially in light of the fact that the army is facing law suits accusing it as a defendant in the same case, which constitutes a clear conflict of interest. He was detained as a result pending further military investigation.

Alaa has been very active on the blogging scene in Egypt since 2004, when he and his wife Manal Hassan (@manal) started the award-winner blog and aggregator Manal and Alaa’s Bit Bucket (www.manalaa.net). Both bloggers have been very active online and offline in fighting the old regime in Egypt and making sure cases of corruption and police brutality were broken into traditional media. Alaa was detained before in 2006 for 45 days.

Many believe Alaa’s detention comes as a warning to other bloggers and political activists as another step in a series of violations against freedom of expression committed by the ruling Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) in Egypt. Several bloggers were interrogated and/or detained including Asmaa Mahfouz, Hossam El Hamalawy, Loai Nagati, and Maikel Nabil, who has been on a hunger strike since August 22.

The No to Military Trials for Civilians group has published a press release condemning Alaa’s arrest in the strong possible words, and asking for his immediate release, together with the other 12,000 victims of military trials in Egypt, who should at least be retried before a civil court. The group called upon Egyptians to refuse to cooperate with military interrogation and to support the cause of No to Military Trials for Civilians. You can read the press release in its entirety here.

Egyptian Blogger's Summons Adds Fuel to Campaign Against Military Trials

Jillian York — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:26:17 +0000

Photo of Alaa Abd El Fattah from personaldemocracy on Flickr (CC-BY-SA-2.0)

Alaa Abd El Fattah, a well-known Egyptian blogger and activist who was imprisoned in 2006 under the Mubarak regime, learned on Monday that he has been summoned by a military prosecutor. Though he was expected to face the prosecutor today, his summons was postponed until Sunday, when he returns from the United States, where he's speaking at a conference on technology and human rights. According to a tweet, he suspects that he will be charged with incitement to violence and destruction of public property.

According to Al Masry Al Youm, a video blogger has claimed to have video evidence against Alaa that shows him throwing stones on October 9 and alleges that the blogger incited violence during the massacre of Coptic Christians that took place that day. The video, posted to YouTube, contains no evidence to support the claims. In contrast, Al Masry Al Youm states that it witnessed Alaa assissting the wounded following protests on October 9.

The New York Times also reported on the situation, stating that Alaa's father is “‘not worried' about the fact that his son faces interrogation by a military prosecutor.”

Alaa, who recently attended the Third Arabloggers Meeting in Tunis, spoke Tuesday at the Silicon Valley Human Rights Conference in San Francisco (which he had scheduled prior to knowledge of his interrogation), mentioning the case of jailed blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad and reiterating the call for an end to military trials in Egypt:

Let me take 30 seconds to speak out against extra-ordinary justice. I’m going to be facing it when I get back to Egypt, in front of our military government. Here you should be familiar with extraordinary justice, as it was practiced in Guantanamo. There are roughly 12,000 civilians in military prison right now, for participating in a revolution the military pretends to have sided with, and sometimes it is for events in which the military committed the crimes, not civilians. I urge you to find ways to stand with anyone facing this future.

Since January 28, more than 12,000 civilians have been tried by military courts in Egypt. A growing campaign demands an end to military trials, echoing Alaa's claim of extraordinary justice. International groups such as Human Rights Watch have spoken out against the actions of the Supreme Council of Armed Forces, stating that the prosecutions demonstrate ” how Egypt’s military rulers are undermining the transition to democracy.” The Christian Science Monitor noted that “not a single prosecution has been made in cases of military abuse and torture this year in which the Army promised investigations.”

Under SCAF rule, free expression is not a right, echoing for many life under the Mubarak regime. In July, Asmaa Mahfouz was interrogated over a tweet, while blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad has been imprisoned since April and on hunger strike since August.

For his part, Alaa has asked that those wishing to support him stand against military trials in Egypt:

Egypt: On Maikel Nabil, first blogger to be jailed since January 25

Rasha Abdulla — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:21:00 +0000

Maikel Nabil , the first Egyptian blogger to be jailed since the January 25 revolution started, has been on a hunger strike since Monday, August 22. On August 30, Maikel stopped taking any liquids, including water. He was taken to a hospital two days later after falling into a coma.

He has agreed to drink some water but still refuses to eat any food. Maikel, who has a heart condition, was tried before a military court 12 days after being arrested from his home on March 28, 2011, and charged with “insulting the military & spreading false reports aiming to disturb public security.” He was sentenced to three years in prison.

Maikel is serving three years in jail for a blog he wrote in March entitled “The army and the people are not one hand,” in which he listed what he thought were alleged wrongdoings by the army to the people of Egypt. His blog is linked to other newspaper pieces and videos supporting his claims. Maikel has a history of online activism as well as of controversial and at times unpopular opinions. His website www.maikelnabil.com has featured an online campaign he started in 2009 against compulsory drafting by the army in Egypt. As someone who defines himself as “pro-Israel” and “atheist,” his website also features several pieces that do not resonate well with the mostly religiously conservative, anti-Israeli atrocities Egyptian people. His unpopular opinions have not granted him that many supporters among Egyptians.

I personally do not agree with many of Maikel’s blog entries or arguments, but as someone who has always been a staunch supporter of freedom of thought and expression, I will defend to the death his right to say them. In my book “Policing the Internet in the Arab World” (the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, 2009), I argued that even though Egypt does not block any websites (Maikel’s blog in its entirety, including the entry he was tried for is still online), security forces have always gone after bloggers and online activists in an attempt to harass and intimidate them and others. That was during pre-January 25 Egypt. We had hoped by now things would be different. Since Maikel’s arrest, the army has investigated several online activists and journalists, including Hossam el Hamalawy, Reem Magued, Adel Hammouda, Rasha Azab, and Asmaa Mahfouz. These were not arrested. Activist Loai Nagati was detained for a week and later released.

Since February, 11,879 Egyptian civilians have been trialed or investigated by military courts.

A group of activists has since been actively trying to campaign against military trials. The “No To Military Trials for Civilians” group is calling for all civilians to be tried before their normal, civic court. The group also asks that those already in jail by military courts be released and re-tried before a civic court. Recently, the group produced a PSA (in Arabic) featuring several potential Presidential candidates advocating against military trials for civilians.

Egyptian Activist Questioned by Military Prosecutor

Tarek Amr — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:24:43 +0000

The Egyptian activist and one of the founders of the April 6 Youth Movement, Asmaa Mahfouz, was investigated this Sunday by the military prosecution office on charges of defaming Egypt’s military rulers and calling for violence. The accusation of Asmaa was based on an earlier phone interview she had on Al-Nas Satellite TV Channel and on a message she cross-posted on both her twitter and facebook accounts.

Al-Masry Al-Youm wrote about the incident and translated Asmaa's tweet.

if the judiciary doesn’t give us our rights, nobody should be surprised if militant groups appear and conduct a series of assassinations, because there is no law and there is no judiciary.

Asmaa was later released on LE 20,000 (more than $3000) bail pending further investigations. However this doesn't stop the Egyptian users on twitter as well as the possible Presidential candidate Mohamed El-Baradei from condemning the incident.

@ElBaradei: Military trials for young activists, while Mubarak & co. stand before civilian courts, is a legal farce. Don't abort the revolution

Dozens of users on twitter also either retweeted or copied and pasted Asmaa's tweet challenging the military court.

@AmrEzzat:

رفاق تويتر:أدعوكم لترديد التويتات اللي هي تهمة أسماء محفوظ، ونطلب ضمنا لمتهمين القضية. والمجلس يحبس آلاف المدونين أو يحترم حرية الرأي

Dear twitter friends: I call you to repeat the tweet used in accusing Asmaa Mahfouz, and ask those who are interested in the case and the Supreme Council of Armed Forces to either jail all bloggers or respect the freedom of speech.

On the other hand the phone interview used as an evidence of her defaming the Supreme Council of Armed Forces was made when she was in the middle of Al-Abbasseya clashes, where activists and peaceful protesters were attacked by thugs, and about 300 protesters were injured and one died a few weeks later from injuries sustained.

Morocco: Militant Website Sustains DDoS Attack

Hisham Almiraat — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:09:21 +0000

The Moroccan militant website Mamfakinch! has come under a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack on Sunday 31 July, 2011, which blocked the access to its main platform for several hours. The website is now back online.

What is Mamfakinch! and why has it been attacked?

Mamfakinch!

In the wake of the Arab revolutions, a couple of Moroccan online activists launched a militant website on February 17, 2011. They called it Mamfakinch!, which in Moroccan Arabic means “We won't give up!”.

In the six months of its existence Mamfakinch! has attracted a record audience of over a million unique visitors across its two main outlets which comprise an online news portal and a blog. The site's goal, according to its members, is to provide a platform for free expression for opposition voices and pro-democracy activists.

Against the backdrop of the Arab revolutions, Mamfakinch! set about to aggregate, curate and disseminate citizen media material, emulating the work of similar outlets in the region, notably the celebrated Tunisian news portal Nawaat.org.

But as Mamfakinch! readers and supporters have grown in number, so too have its detractors. “The website has gained a lot of popularity in the Moroccan activist blogosphere but we had also attracted a lot of enemies. Attacks against the website have started very early on but they are becoming increasingly aggressive” says this site's co-manager who also explains that the platform is receiving regular threats and countless derogatory comments. [Please note: the Mamfakinch! representatives interviewed in this article wish to remain anonymous].

One video recently surfaced on the internet purporting to show an attack against Mamfakinch!. The site was quick to publish an article [Fr] in which it (very sarcastically) dismissed the alleged attack as “a miserable spoof”.

The Attack

This Sunday, while the website was securing the exclusive live coverage of the pro-democracy marches and demonstrations being held across the kingdom, access to its main portal was denied. The blockade lasted for several hours before the site again became accessible late in the evening.

According to the site administrators, Mamfakinch! came under a large-scale DDoS attack. “The attack seems to originate from thousands of dynamic IPs localted in Saudi Arabia (!)” says the website's webmaster. The site's server has, in the matter of a few hours, became overloaded with the amount of new automated IPs' requests.

“The site is now up and running and we have taken measures to insure that such attacks don't happen in the future… although no one can be absolutely sure” says this co-founder of the site who adds that his colleagues, “for obvious security reasons, prefer not to disclose details of the steps taken to secure access to the site.”

Like in Ben Ali's Tunisia

Before the revolution in Tunisia, Morocco was praised for the relative freedom enjoyed by its internet users. But the country is now seeing a surge in attacks against online dissidents, several of whom have had their Facebook or email accounts hacked into. Phishing techniques were probably used to harvest account passwords.

DDoS attacks, infiltration techniques and blockage of dissident domain names were common during the Ben Ali era in Tunisia. Those types of attacks are increasingly becoming commonplace in Morocco. The site of the irreverent magazine Demain Online has not yet recovered from an attack it suffered over a month ago. The website 20Fevrier.com, believed to be related to the pro-democracy movement in Morocco, also came under attack several weeks ago. It has been offline ever since.

“The more they attacks us, the more we learn!”

Paradoxically, in the Arab world, the most experienced activists usually come from the most repressive environments. After a long confrontation with their governments, Tunisian and Egyptian activists have become experts in circumvention tools. This expertise is now being transferred to other countries in the region where militants are learning each day as they struggle against attempts to censor their voices online.

This statement from a member of Mamfakinch! sums up the situation quite well: “The more they attack us, the more we learn! Let them come!”

Egypt: Timeline of Communication Shutdown during the Revolution

Ramy Raoof — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:55:37 +0000

This diagram represents sequence of communication shutdown implemented by security agencies in Egypt and telecommunications companies starting 25 January to 6 February, to control the flow of information between people.

Click on the image to enlarge

Mobile Tactics for Participants in Peaceful Assemblies

Ramy Raoof — Thu, 26 May 2011 10:26:25 +0000

If you are participating in a peaceful assembly as a journalists, rights defender, or activists, your mobile phone is an invaluable asset. It allows you to communicate with allies, to document the event, and bear witness to what is happening around you. At the same time, you should take certain precautions in your mobile use and communications. The following Guide published via Mobile Active can help you to utilize your mobile phone during peaceful assemblies effectively and, at the same time, better protect yourself.

Assess Mobile Risks

In most public assemblies, you face risks from:

Loss and seizure of your mobile phone;
Disruptions to service from hardware or network failures;
Surveillance of your communications.

Each of these risks can be mitigated to some extent so long as you plan ahead, know your phone, and the basics of how mobile communications works. Remember though that every situation is different and that mobile phones are inherently insecure communication devices. We urge you to review this Primer on Mobile Risks for more guidance in assessing your mobile risks.

Understand the Value of Information on your Mobile Phone

1. Videos and Photos

The photos and videos that you capture as a participant in a peaceful assembly are valuable documentation. For example, suppose you encounter an incident on the street and are able to capture footage of the event on your mobile. This evidence can be important to refute false information about an assembly or can be used as proof that the incident occurred. The footage might also be useful as proof of wrongdoing by someone (such as a police officer).

2. Your Private Information

Your mobile phone stores large amounts of private information. See the Primer on Mobile Risks for more specifics about the data stored on your mobile. Your mobile may contain your contact list, text messages, call logs, web browsing history, notes, and documents.

This kind of information could expose your work and your networks. It could easily be misused and shouldn’t be made available to anyone without your knowledge. Always be aware of the content you have on your mobile phone and use available security (such as a pin code, keypad autolock, phone autolock, lock code… etc). We will be publishing specific Lockdown Guides for instructions about using available security on your mobile device.

What To Do Before Joining a Peaceful Assembly

The following suggestions will help you maintain the stability of your communications and the safety of your information:

1. Back Up Your Mobile Content

You could easily lose your phone in a demonstration (it could fall, be stolen, confiscated by a police officer, snatched by someone). Back up all content off your mobile phone to a secure computer. Be sure to include contacts, messages, logs, media, and any other content that you believe is important. You can then format your phone, deleting all content and records. After the event, you can safely restore the content from your back-up to your device.

2. Carry a Spare Mobile Battery

Although you might have a sense of how long a demonstration will take, it’s hard to guess how things will develop. You might use your mobile for many tasks and the battery might die. Always keep with you at least one extra battery and your charger, if possible. Practice how to change your mobile batteries quickly.

3. Keep Important Information on a Piece of Paper

Write down a few important contacts on a small piece of paper and keep it with you because you might lose your mobile phone and access to your mobile contact list in an emergency. For example, write down contact information for your family, a lawyer, doctor, journalist and human rights organization.

4. Recharge your Credit

If your service plan plan is prepaid, don’t forgot to charge your SIM card. You don’t know how many phone calls you will make or how much data you will upload online.

5. Explore Network Strength

If possible, make a short visit to the location of the assembly and explore the spots where there is high, medium and poor coverage. If you plan to have a WiFi device with you, also note the location (and security!) of any open Wifi networks.

6. Cross-Post

If you are planning to send text updates via Facebook or Twitter, or planning to send pictures to Flickr or Twitpic, connect your accounts to make sure your content will be spread and circulated online in different communities once you post an update or picture or start a live-stream. If you are concerned about the security of this approach, consider setting up a special set of accounts on social websites prior to the assembly without your personal information.

7. Bookmark

Don’t forget to bookmark the links to social websites and online tools you are planning to use. Remember to bookmark the mobile version of the social websites (for instance, http://m.facebook.com, http://m.flickr.com, http://m.twitter.com… etc).

Know your Mobile Phone

1. Explore your Mobile Keypad

You can minimize the risk of being observed using your phone if you know how the letters and numbers are distributed on your phone’s buttons. Many people can type “hi, how are you” on the computer keyboard while chatting without looking to the keyboard. You also need to know how to type a short text message (SMS) without looking to your mobile keypad. If you become more familiar with your mobile keypad, you will be able to send a message without looking at the keypad.
You can save time and effort by knowing shortcuts. Many phones have shortcuts to access mobile applications, like a shortcut to activate the camera for instance. Know and practice those shortcuts without looking at the phone so you can activate an application when necessary.If possible, set-up menu shortucs. In some mobiles, you just need to match the order of the icons in your mobile menu with the order of numbers on your mobile keypad.

2. Explore your Mobile Camera

Know how to optimize your mobile camera to do what you want safely and effectively. Become familiar with how your camera operates and how to control its options. You could get arrested if you are taking a picture of a police officer beating someone, and the flash of your camera gets the officer’s attention. The sound of the camera when you click capture might also draw attention to you so pre-set functions to avoid getting noticed by others.

What To Do During a Peaceful Assembly

1. Assess Your Physical Risk and Police Presence

Your personal safety should always be a priority while taking pictures and videos in a peaceful assembly or sending text messages and web updates. Understand how far you are from security and anti-riot forces and how close to any police vans. Ideally, visit the assembly site prior to the event to become familiar with the location and routes if violence occurs. You don’t have to panic. Just keep your eyes open.

2. Assess Network Coverage and Internet Access

Before you decide to send updates through Twitter or live-stream with tools such as Bambuser, check if you are in a position with enough coverage to support what you want to do online. Keep in mind that the coverage could suddenly drop. Make sure you understand your livestream options and set up accounts prior to the event. This guide might help you to use Bambuser and you will find here other tools.

3. Choose Your Tactics

You can document a peaceful assembly in different forms (via text, video, and picture). You must decide what you want to do based on the situation itself.

If things are calm you can take pictures and send text updates.
If violence is taking place you can turn on your camera and start video-recording events. If you are lucky and there is Internet access you can live-stream what is happening. If you want to inform your friends, lawyers, or anyone else about what is happening via text-message, try to do it without looking to your keypad.

10 Useful Tips

Do not make too many phone calls when you are in a peaceful assembly. It’s better to pass information via SMS. Using SMS enables you to circulate information one-to-many faster, in less time and with less effort, and you won’t consume as much battery. Consider though that you might face message delivery delays due to network issues (either incidental due to network congestion or intentional by security services) and that your phone communication may be under surveillance.
Keep the memory card in your phone (or camera) as empty as possible so that you can store all pictures and videos you take while being in the demonstration or protest. If possible, bring multiple memory cards to use when needed. Practice changing memory cards in your mobile quickly and without looking and store full memory cards securely in a safe place in case you are arrested.
Try to upload all pictures you have on your mobile online as soon as you have internet access to avoid losing the content if you lose your mobile. (You can upload using http://m.twitpic.com/upload or http://m.flickr.com/#/upload, for instance.)
Carry a spare SIM card if you can. In some instances, mobile network operators shut down the numbers of known activists or specific individuals. If you believe that your number may be targeted, and if you can afford to do so, carry an extra SIM card. If you notice that your service is unavailable, try switching SIMs. Changing SIM cards does not mean that you are anonymizing your phone use. Your mobile phone is still identifiable by a unique number on the device itself and, of course, to any SIM card inserted.
Keep your mobile silent and turn the vibration on. No need to get the attention of people surrounding you.
Some mobiles provide a security level usually known as remote-lock. It enables you to lock your mobile by sending SMS with particular keyword you previously set to your mobile if you suddenly lost it. For example, if a police officer snatched your mobile and left, you can simply send an SMS from any mobile with that particular keyword to lock your phone.
If you will be posting content online, write important links in an SMS and save it as a draft. You can just copy-paste the links if your mobile supports this feature.
If you expect to send a particular message to someone, prepare it in your drafts. That will save you time, and you can just click “send” when you want to send it. For example, you can write down “arrested” followed by your name in a message and pick your recipients and save it as a draft.
Consider mobile applications such as SaferMobile InTheClear application. InTheClear lets you preset an emergency SMS to a set of contacts (Shout!) with a single menu click (Panic!). InTheClear also allows you to unobtrusively erase your address book from your phone (Wipe!), should it have been taken from you. You can learn more about IntheClear here and sign up as a beta tester.