Did you know that government officials across the Middle East & North Africa region are targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people based on their online activity on social media?
Security forces in the region have entrapped LGBT people on social media and dating applications, subjected them to online extortion, harassment and outing, and relied on illegitimately obtained digital photos, chats, and similar information in prosecutions, in violation of the right to privacy and other human rights.
Digital platforms such as Meta (Facebook, Instagram), and Grindr, aren’t doing enough to protect users vulnerable to digital targeting.
Under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, social media companies have a responsibility to respect human rights, including the rights to non-discrimination, privacy, and freedom of expression. So, it is time for companies such as Meta and Grindr to get their act together and protect their users from abuse.
Want to know more? Then read our new report on-topic ‘All This Terror Because of a Photo’, focusing on the situation in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Tunisia. If you don’t have time to read a 135-page report, just check out our video with testimony of victims.