What Is an Individualã¢â‚¬â„¢s Right to Privacy When Using an Online Communication Format

Tin anyone really imagine life without the Internet and applied science? For Human Rights Defenders (HRD) and activists the answer is no. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) take go indispensable for individuals and networks, besides as integral to mobilizing resources effectively. Their capacity to influence and engage with individual and public opinions, expand the social base of operations that supports them, highlight struggles and culling ways of doing things, are all greatly facilitated by unlike technical ways. How HRD tactically and creatively use ICT can enhance or minimize their responsiveness, reach and survival. And it is the aforementioned for gratuitous media and the people keeping information technology alive. Without the Internet and ICT, getting their voices heard and reaching out to local and global audiences would be much more of a challenge. In this article, we will focus on Human being Rights Defenders and activists, and how their apply of ICT and the Internet can put them at chance likewise as their contacts, networks and the public they piece of work with. Our analysis and recommendations thus besides include free media initiatives.

The Cyberspace has profoundly inverse over the final decade, moving from a complimentary, open, decentralized and practice-it-yourself Internet to a centralized and commercially-oriented Internet. Major players such every bit the well known GAFAM (Google, Facebook, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft) have offered users convenience and often innovative online services and platforms "for free." Even so, this convenience has come at a toll. GAFAM offers more then merely free user services; these companies provide the hardware and software foundations of the Net [1] making it virtually impossible non to use any of their products, every bit other user products are congenital into their infrastructure. This centralization goes hand in hand with one of cardinal commercial driving forces of the net: data. These companies experience entitled to collect and sell the personal data of their users. This data-centric world has and will proceed to negatively impact the ability and liberty of individuals to practice their liberty of speech and challenge those in power as well every bit encroaching on people's privacy. [2] Information technology will too increase cases of "data discrimination" in which oppressed or marginalized communities are further socially excluded due to opaque "algorithmic" processes. Moreover, these centralization, commercialization and datafication trends accept also fabricated it easier for governments and companies to engage in surveillance activities aimed at controlling, censoring and tracking downwardly political dissents and HRD.

Who tracks us ? Trackography project, Tactical Tech

In this commodity we detail the different types of information that are created, collected and analysed and discuss how they enable dissimilar forms of surveillance and command of HRD. This is followed by several recommendations on how to regain a sure degree of control over HRD "digital shadows" [3] and a list of useful resources and guides which enable ane to use the Internet with increased privacy and security while maintaining one'south political date and citizenship. [iv] This bulletin was sent to mobile phone users located near a protest area in Kiev in 2014, their mobile phones revealing their location. One seemingly innocent slice of data such as location, situated in the social and political context of Ukraine, was linking people to a larger political tension. The prosecutor general called the protest a crime against the country, and labelled protesters or those in the protest's vicinity as criminals.

Me and my shadow, Tactical Tech

Other examples show us how Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRD) have been harassed for speaking up in the name of social justice and equality. Personal profiles and fan pages are routinely taken down by Facebook due to targeted campaigns coordinated by misogynists "denouncing" their pages. For many activists, losing access to their social media profile not merely means having their voice censored on the Net but also means losing their contacts and support networks. [5]

Both examples show that data is not created, collected and analyses in a vacuum. Information technology is placed in the social, political and economic context in which many HRD operate. To understand the impact of data on the privacy, security and well-existence of a HRD, it is of import to be familiar with the different data categories (identity, social networks, habits and patterns), and understand who can access this data and how information technology tin be used. It is too important to identify how HRD tin can navigate these new challenges.

Get-go of all, it'due south helpful to remember of all the digital data virtually yous — your "digital traces" as information that tells a very detailed story almost you lot and your activities. Like a "digital shadow" that is constantly expanding and morphing, with you and others creating and adding new traceable activities. When nosotros employ the term "digital traces," we are basically referring to two types of data : content and metadata. Each has their ain unique characteristic and can be used for dissimilar surveillance purposes.

Content is created by yous and others actively publishing information, which includes what you write, publish and share, as well as content that other people create virtually you. Content tin can be scanned for fundamental words which are considered harmful to the condition quo, identifying whoever created the content as a human rights defender. The content may be read by individuals (trolls) who may non concur with information technology and consequently start an online hate campaign.

Metadata is data about data, which is created and so that the basic infrastructure of our digital systems, including the Cyberspace and our mobile phone networks, tin can work properly. For case, the metadata of an e-mail contains the sender, recipient, fourth dimension and date, sometimes the IP accost and subject line. Metadata enables your email to be delivered correctly, your files to be establish on your reckoner, and your smartphone to receive text letters and phone calls from around the earth near instantaneously. As it is key component of the Cyberspace infrastructure, it cannot be easily modified, masked or concealed.

Metadata is very structured and therefore car readable, which is good for understanding patterns in human behaviour [half-dozen] and creating social graphs [vii]
Quantity is significant, as the metadata of a single email may non reveal that much, merely an inbox full of email will reveal not only the frequency of communication and the times at which the advice takes place (at that place might be spikes before political events), simply it will also highlight the different networks a HRD is communicating with. [8]

# Controlling data

Information technology is important to sympathize that once digital traces are created and transmitted, they are out of our firsthand control and generally end upwards in the easily of others, stored on servers that don't hands forget. But not all digital traces are equal. The amount of command we take over a digital trace depends on how the trace was created and where information technology is stored.
In his book Data and Goliath [9], Bruce Schneier outlines six different types of data or digital footprints. [10] They range from service information, which is the easiest for a HRD to control, to derived data, which is the hardest to control. Service information is information which is required when registering for a service. Yous can control the data you provide by withholding certain details, providing fake information or using an alias. Then there is the information that others create almost you, called incidental data. This includes tags, twitter mentions, email and telephone conversations. It is already more difficult to control, equally a HRD can only ask certain people non to post photos or mention them. With data nosotros entrust to third parties (entrusted information) such as Facebook and Google, HRD are dependent on these companies and institutions to treat their data with intendance. This category likewise includes data provided in governmental records, utility bills and bank statements.
The last two categories Schneier mentions are behavioural and derived data. Location data falls nether the category of behavioural data, [11] and reveals what HRD do, with whom, how often and where. Every bit this is generally metadata, needed for the infrastructure to role, information technology is very hard to command. Finally, derived information, data which is inferred about HRD from other data, is out of one's control. Companies and governments use data to create group profiles, based on social media networks, location data and/or browsing behaviour We have no control over what group profiles we belong to, nor what inferred digital footprints are created.
Both types of data present specific challenges and threats to HRD, as telephone records, email and social media activity tin reveal a HRD'southward identity, their networks, their location and/or their activities (content of their communication). Nonetheless, it is important to understand that these categorizations are generally analysed and created past algorithms and artificial intelligences. Both are only as expert as the data which is the input, the lawmaking which is written by humans and the decisions that are based on the output. It is not uncommon that algorithms or artificial intelligence go it wrong. [12]
This means that you may be labelled an activist yet have nothing to do with activism, or be linked to a low credit score which prevents you from getting a loan, or exist excluded from possible task interviews because you live in an impoverished area of the city. [thirteen] Algorithms are behind about of the analysis made of behavioural and inferred data, and they tin be completely off the mark. They can also be extremely authentic and put HRD and their networks at risk.

# Forms of surveillances

In her paper entitled "Big Data and Sexual Surveillance," [14] Nicole Shepard reminds us that "when the command of a person'southward information is out of that person's hands, so too is the nature of the potential transformation." She quotes Manovich who identifies three emerging classes in our information-driven societies, "those who create data (both consciously and past leaving digital footprints), those who have the means to collect it, and those who have expertise to analyse it. The first group includes pretty much everybody in the world who is using the spider web and/or mobile phones; the second group is smaller; and the third group is much smaller yet. [15]  [16]

There are three types of actors who collect and analyse information: companies, governments and individuals. Companies collect data in order to analyse individuals' behaviour and habits for money-making purposes — otherwise known as corporate surveillance. Not just do companies sell data or their analysis of certain groups to other companies and governments, the Snowden documents [17] revealed that some companies also cooperate with governments by providing access to their databases. Or governments will hack into their servers to gain access to this data. [18]

Governments are extremely interested in gathering as much information every bit possible, in order to ensure a more efficient bureaucracy, to catch the "bad guys," to place foreign spies and to monitor migration. Depending on the social and political state of affairs, this can also outcome in excluding marginalized groups from specific services, [19] censoring media, monitoring online activity [20] h [21] and identifying activists (using the Cyberspace [22]), or even trying to "wall" their country off from the rest of the online world. [23]

Lastly, individuals can collect data by engaging in open source intelligence, social applied science or hacking into online services. There have been many cases where individuals use attainable online data to profile, monitor, control, spy on, harass, or blackmail family members, spouses, ex-partners or merely people whose lifestyle or political amalgamation they disapprove of. Female HRD are specially vulnerable to this form of surveillance, as trolls, conservative and anti-rights groups accept used different tactics to collect information in order to silence them. [24]

As our online profiles and "digital shadows" are constantly expanding, they requite those who have access to them immensely detailed insight into who we are, what we like, who nosotros know, what nosotros do, and our daily habits and interactions. Oftentimes, in-depth data collection and analysis enables them to learn things nearly united states that nosotros may non fifty-fifty know or realize.

Companies and services (and even some researchers and non-profit organizations) often argue that they protect users through data anonymisation, so your "privacy" is safe with them. Simply information technology has been proven [25] that our data traces are then unique — just like our fingerprints — that even a small sample of information virtually the states enables data analysts to identify and reveal individual behaviour due to the distinctive patterns which course our "digital shadows."

Depending on who yous are and what you do, yous volition probably accept different concerns about the kinds of data or "digital traces" that are being created, besides as who can access them. This may make you experience uncomfortable. However information technology'due south important to remember that you are not alone, and that there are a number of things y'all can do to limit your digital traces as much equally possible.

# What yous tin exercise

Worldwide, there are very few laws that effectively regulate information collection or protect us from the unprecedented level of surveillance we are currently experiencing. This makes it even more of import to back up privacy protection laws and standards in guild to work towards change both now and in the futurity.

Information technology also makes it important that nosotros remain enlightened of an consequence that is relatively "invisible," benefiting corporations and governments, and notice ways to create interest and awareness amid our ain networks and friends.

And finally, we can also fight back by regaining control over the digital traces we create and limiting who can collect them by irresolute our ICT practices and switching to privacy-sensitive alternatives. [26] It's important to deepen one'south understanding of the powers at play and brainwash oneself and one's contacts and networks about how location [27] and browser [28] tracking works. There is a myriad of helpful resources [29] that enable one to switch practices and tools, thereby positively impacting one's digital shadow.

We have besides listed four possible strategies that enable one to regain a certain corporeality of control over one's data and digital shadow. These strategies cover tactics which may converge, complement or even contradict each other depending of who yous are, the risks involved and how far are y'all willing to become in regaining control over your data.

I commencement possible strategy is "Reduction," in the vein of "Less is more!" The thought is that information that is not created, can't be collected, analysed, stored or sold. This strategy is based on the premise that the less data we produce, the better. Several concrete tactics include:

. Limiting data generation by withholding information. You do not need to fill out all the fields in registration forms.
. Cleaning your online identity, delete apps that yous no longer utilize from your mobile phone, and erase pictures, emails and messages that are outdated.
. Blocking unwanted access, and installing Privacy Annoy and NoScript to block cookies and other third party scripts from running in your browser and collecting information.

The 2d possible strategy is "Obfuscation." This encompasses the idea of "Hiding in the crowd!" and intends to confuse companies or other adversaries with noise and confusing information. The obfuscation strategy involves creating a lot of false information so that companies, governments or other individuals do non empathize which data is true and which is imitation.

Several tactics include:
. Creating several fake social media profiles with similar names or pictures.
. Masking your individual identity on Facebook past creating a grouping account and identity.
. Creating noise by clicking on random ads, or install Adnausium, a tool that will do this for y'all, while y'all do other things.
. Misleading Google past installing TrackMeNot, a tool which generates random search queries,masking your real searches and questions.
. Using a VPN to change your IP address.
. Irresolute the name on your telephone.
. Breaking your routine...

Our third strategy is "Compartmentalization" which is based on "Diversification" of profiles." Offline we have a different persona in different social situations: at work or school we might exist a different version of ourselves than at home, in the bar, or at the gym. We naturally tend to be good at managing these dissimilar identities. The compartmentalization strategy is near managing multiple personas online as well, by group different social networks, interests, behaviour, information and identities into different "compartments." Several tactics include:

. Searching for your name online and writing a list of all the unlike accounts you have. This is a offset footstep towards separating your online life into different spheres.
. Creating different social media accounts with different names.
. Separating your online identity: employ sure browsers for certain sets of online activities; use different messenger apps for different social circles.
. Isolating valuable or personal information past storing it on a different device.
. Separating your work life from your social life by using unlike email accounts for each.

Finally, the quaternary strategy is "Fortification." This encompasses the idea of "My devices, my rules!" and is based on creating barriers, restricting admission and visibility. This strategy is designed to keep your data prophylactic from prying eyes. Several tactics include:

. Creating a barrier: install an anti-virus program and keep it up to appointment.
. Keeping your information under lock and key: encrypt your mobile telephone, computer and tablet.
. Breaking all signals, turning off Wi-Fi and bluetooth when not in use and putting your phone in a faraday shield (you tin brand one yourself) when you lot don't want to be tracked.
. A simple but constructive measure is to embrace your webcam when not in apply.
. Ensuring that you connect to websites through a secure connexion (wherever possible), by installing HTTPS Everywhere in your browser.

These recommendations are essentially about what you can implement or alter as an private. Still, privacy and security is a collective game. The small-world experiment shows [30] that we are all somehow interrelated. All our actions as individuals impact and influence the privacy and security of our contacts and also of third histrion parties. Making recommendations about privacy for organizations and/or networks would crave a new article on its own. Yet nosotros have included the post-obit security recommendations for social movements.

–  Starting time, social movements would demand to prefer shared agreements and then institute common security practices. This means social movements and networks would need identify their threat model, analyse the risks and potential bear upon of those risks, and assess the likelihood of these risks occurring. This should enable them to prioritize certain areas, and determine accordingly which practices and security protocols they need to implement.
–  Secondly, organizations and social movements need to pay more attention to their engineering choices and on selecting appropriate tools for communicating, sharing and storing data. This means selecting tools that are non commercially oriented and that do jeopardize their users' privacy. Fortunately, there is a wide range of gratis privacy and security oriented software tools that have been developed and maintained by non-profit organizations and communities. We recommend you lot explore those options and alternatives with your colleagues and choose the communication tools that not only fit your privacy needs, but are besides aligned with your ethical and political behavior. Bask!

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Source: https://www.ritimo.org/Privacy-Surveillance-and-Data-Tracking-Why-Does-it-Matter-for-Human-Rights

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