[bestbits] Digital Rights Foundation bid farewell to 2016 with two Research Studies

[Nighat Dad]

Dear All,

On behalf of DRF, I wish you all a very happy new year. DRF concluded 2016
with two pilot research studies: the first deals with the state of privacy
policies of the major telecoms that are operating in Pakistan; the second
study tackles the gendered surveillance faced by female journalists in
Pakistan, and the impact it has on their professional and personal lives.

The first study, *Telecoms Privacy & Data Protection Policies in Pakistan
<http://digitalrightsfoundation.pk/telecomsresearch2016/>*, looks at the
extent to which the privacy policies of the major telecoms in Pakistan
protect and inform their customers, and where they let them down. We
examine the positive and the areas which are sorely lacking. Some did
better than expected, and some disappointed, given the work of their parent
company/ies. DRF utilised methodology inspired by Ranking Digital Rights
and their Corporate Accountability Index project.

None came out with 100%, however, and one telecom company Zong has already
reached out to us after release of the study. We hope that telecoms pay
attention and work to develop privacy policies that respect their users,
and instills greater confidence, assuring customers that their mobile
service providers are able to convey that they are indeed doing their best
to protect their data. This is especially important in not only the passage
of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, which could have significant
ramifications for telecoms customers, but in the absence of explicit data
protection legislation in Pakistan.

*Surveillance of Female Journalists in Pakistan
<http://digitalrightsfoundation.pk/femalejournalistsresearch/> *examines
the experiences of female journalists and the forms of surveillance that
they face in the course of their work, and the toll surveillance can take
on their professional and personal lives, it bleeds over into their
personal lives. The research looks at the gendered forms - and different
sources of - surveillance, including the state, audience members and
political groups. The female journalists interviewed for the study spoke to
DRF about the surveillance that they found themselves under not just by
state authorities, but also the constant social surveillance in the form of
abuse on social media - largely directed at their gender and appearance,
rather than their work. In addition to mapping the forms of surveillance
faced by female journalists, the report also explored the impact that this
constant monitoring has, in terms of the psychological toll,
self-censorship and retreat from digital spaces.

This research study aims to add to the conversation around free speech,
freedom of the press, surveillance and gender. DRF also aims to mainstream
the idea of social surveillance as part of the definition of surveillance -
where surveillance is not only carried out by the state, but also by social
non-state actors. It is hoped that this study will highlight the gendered
experience of female journalists and the specific problems they have to
face.
Media Coverage: Pakistani telecoms' murky policies put users' privacy at
risk: report www.dawn.com/news/1305364/pakistani-telecoms-murky-
policies-put-users-privacy-at-risk-report
Study finds telecom firms’ privacy, data protection policies inadequate
http://www.dawn.com/news/1305503
http://nation.com.pk/national/31-Dec-2016/drf-releases-resea
rch-study-on-surveillance-of-female-journalists
http://nation.com.pk/national/31-Dec-2016/research-study-on-
surveillance-of-female-journalists-in-pakistan
http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2016/12/31/pakistani-telecom
s-murky-policies-put-users-privacy-at-risk-report/
 http://www.dawn.com/news/1305891/female-journalists-face-
gendered-forms-of-surveillance-study-finds



Best,
Nighat Dad
Executive Director,
Digital Rights Foundation <http://www.digitalrightsfoundation.pk/>
Key ID: 386F2A5F
Finger Print: 73C2 8F10 60D4 6553 0BFA D174 8AA1 226F 386F 2A5F
Twitter: nighatdad
Phone: +92 321 4815252 <+92%20321%204815252>
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