[bestbits] Cyber Harassment helpline's 4 months report

[Nighat Dad]

(Apologies for cross posting)

Dear all,

I'm writing to provide an update on the Cyber Harassment Helpline that has
marked its 4 months of operations in Pakistan.

The Cyber Harassment Helpline is Pakistan’s first dedicated helpline
addressing issues of online abuse and violence providing a free, safe,
gender-sensitive and confidential service. The Helpline Support Staff gives
legal advice, digital security support and psychological counselling to
victims of online harassment. The Helpline was launched on December 1, 2016.

The helpline has completed its 4 months of successful operation. I'll admit
that it wasn't easy, we faced a lot of challenges and a lot of hurdles that
sometimes seem impossible to solve.

To keep our friends and those who supported us in the process updated,
we've compiled a comprehensive report on the progress of the Cyber
Harassment Helpline. The report highlights the key factors of these 4
months at the helpline, including the number of calls and the nature of
cases coming in. It also outlines the recommendations for the law enforcing
agencies and the government to improve the reporting mechanisms for cyber
crimes.

According to our findings the helpline received 513 individual complaints.
The total number of calls were 535, with 406 of them being individual
cases. 62% of the calls were made by women, whereas 37% of the callers were
men. The platform where people face the most harassment was found to be
Facebook and most of the complaints were regarding fake profiles, non
consensual use of information, blackmailing, unsolicited messages and
hacked accounts or devices. Majority of the cases received by the Helpline
were from Punjab (41.3%) whereas 23.90% individuals did not disclose their
location. The helpline also got calls from Sindh (17.8%), Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa (4.70%), Balochistan (1.30%), Azad  Kashmir (0.70%), Federal
Territory (10.10%) and outside Pakistan (0.20%).

The report can be accessed here
<http://digitalrightsfoundation.pk/cyber-harassment-helpline-completes-its-four-months-of-operations/>
.

Here's the local press coverage of the report's 4 months so far for your
reference:
Tribune
<https://tribune.com.pk/story/1381030/harassment-central-punjab-emerging-hotbed-cyber-bullying/>
 | Nation
<http://nation.com.pk/lahore/12-Apr-2017/cyber-harassment-rises-in-punjab>
 | Dawn <https://www.dawn.com/news/1326316> | The News
<https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/198101-Cyber-Harassment-Helpline-receives-535-complaints-in-4-months>
 | TechJuice
<https://www.techjuice.pk/digital-rights-foundation-reveals-its-four-month-cyber-harassment-report/>
 | Pakistan Today
<https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/04/11/cyber-harassment-helpline-receives-513-complaints-in-first-four-months/>
 | Daily Times
<http://dailytimes.com.pk/pakistan/12-Apr-17/most--harassment-complaints-linked-to-facebook>

-- 
Best,
Nighat Dad
Executive Director
Digital Rights Foundation
PGP: 386F2A5F
Fingerprint: 73C2 8F10 60D4 6553 0BFA D174 8AA1 226F 386F 2A5F
Office Number: +92-42-35852180 <+92%2042%2035852180>
DRF: Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/DigitalRightsFoundation/> | Twitter
<https://twitter.com/nighatdad> | Website
<http://digitalrightsfoundation.pk/>

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