Safety First

From the 2009 Iranian "Green Revolution" to Egyptian President Mubarak's historic fall from power earlier this year, it has become evident that social media is playing a role in the participation and mobilization of citizens. Debates rage on whether tools like Facebook and Twitter triggered or just assisted with these protests, but clearly social media has become a big player. Just as social media has become a tool for activists to share their voices and organize protests, it has also become a way for repressive governments to ID dissidents. The Syrian government provides a grim example of ways these tools can be used against citizens; journalists report that the government has not only shut down services, but has also hacked accounts and forced individuals to hand over their passwords. NDI is currently working on a proposal that includes building online networks focused on political rights via social media. While we want these activists to use these tools to their advantage, we also focus on how, like in Syria, other governments can turn social media against them. One critical concept we're keeping in mind: what your network says about you. If an activist is following only people seen as dissidents, they too may become a target of repressive regimes. A varied network can provide a way to share a message while keeping a lower profile. A tip from social network analysis is mapping your own network. Instead of following other dissidents, RT-ing their posts, and creating what appears to be a relatively strong tie between two individuals, activists can create weak (and potentially harder to track) ties between each other. How? Learn about other activists' work through a few degrees of separation and use different paths. Don’t always go through the same connection to stay in touch but rather try new routes. Repressive governments will continue to attempt to quash dissidents, so learning how to be active while remaining reasonably safe is critical for anyone who wants to fight for political freedom.