In response to the alarming targeting of LGBT individuals in the Middle East and North Africa on social media platforms, Human Rights Watch launches the #SecureOurSocials campaign. This initiative, directed at META and its app users, seeks transparency and safety solutions. Lebanese drag pioneer, Anya Kneez, stars in an awareness video providing insights for the LGBTQ community to stay safe online. The campaign urges META to disclose safety investments and proportionate risk measures. Uncover the impact and advocacy behind #SecureOurSocials.
Amidst the digital landscape, where social media is both a platform for connection and a potential source of harm, Human Rights Watch launches the #SecureOurSocials campaign. Focused on addressing the perilous targeting of LGBT individuals and communities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, this initiative calls for transparency and safety measures from META, particularly Facebook and Instagram.
The campaign, unveiled in January 2024, features an impactful video starring Lebanese drag pioneer, Anya Kneez. Beyond a mere awareness effort, the campaign offers practical solutions for the safety of LGBT individuals using Meta’s platforms. The accompanying awareness guide provides essential insights on safeguarding oneself online, recognizing the unique challenges faced by the LGBTQ community.
The video, directed by the award-winning collective M.A.Y.O., serves as a visual testament to the collaboration between human rights expertise and creative talent. It encapsulates the gravity of the issue with the necessary touch of humor, amplifying the campaign’s reach to wider audiences. Sonic Union, known for their sound work on award-winning campaigns, contributed to infusing the campaign with both humor and production value.
Amanda Alampi, Director of Campaigns and Public Engagement at Human Rights Watch, highlights the collaboration with creative talents, emphasizing the importance of bridging the worlds of pop culture and human rights. The synergy between Human Rights Watch, creative agencies, and talent like Sonic Union creates a compelling narrative that goes beyond traditional advocacy.
Anya Kneez, the Lebanese queer drag performer, shares a personal connection to the campaign, reflecting on the challenges faced in both Beirut and New York. The campaign, titled “Air Anya,” becomes a powerful avenue for raising awareness about the significance of safe digital spaces for the LGBTQ community amidst constant threats.
The heart of the #SecureOurSocials campaign lies in its call for transparency from META. Through an extensive investigation, Human Rights Watch delved into the digital targeting by security forces, uncovering offline consequences like arbitrary detention and torture in countries such as Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Tunisia.
The campaign specifically urges META to disclose its annual investment in user safety, emphasizing the need for transparency on how trust and safety investments align with the risk of harm in each region, language, and dialect in the MENA region. This push for accountability seeks to ensure that online platforms take meaningful steps to protect vulnerable communities.
The urgency of the campaign stems from the findings that security forces exploit social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, to entrap and harass LGBT individuals. The consequences extend beyond the digital realm, impacting individuals’ jobs, safety, and mental health.
While META has policies in place against online abuse, the consistent application of these rules falls short, allowing content targeting LGBT people to persist on its platforms. This discrepancy in enforcing policies raises concerns about the platforms’ commitment to ensuring a safe online environment for all users.
Human Rights Watch, in its advocacy efforts, emphasizes the responsibility of social media companies to respect human rights, including non-discrimination, privacy, and freedom of expression. The #SecureOurSocials campaign serves as a rallying cry for social media platforms to address human rights impacts and provide meaningful access to remedies for affected individuals.
As the campaign unfolds, Human Rights Watch emphasizes that governments in the MENA region hold the primary responsibility for protecting human rights. Rather than criminalizing expression and targeting individuals online, governments should focus on respecting and safeguarding the rights of the LGBTQ community.
In conclusion, the #SecureOurSocials campaign is not just an advocacy initiative; it’s a call for change, transparency, and the safeguarding of human rights online. The collaboration between Human Rights Watch, creative talents, and the LGBTQ community creates a narrative that challenges the status quo, urging online platforms to be accountable for the safety of all users, regardless of their identity. The campaign stands as a testament to the power of advocacy in the digital age and the need for a collective effort to secure our online spaces.
