From Internet Shutdowns to Personal Harassment: Examining the Spectrum of Digital Violence Against Social Activists

In conflict-affected settings, activists use Infor­mation and Communi­cation Tech­nologies (ICTs) to attract inter­national attention to their cause and stay informed about events. How­ever, digital vio­lence is a growing global concern. Perpe­trators are often anony­mous, making effective re­course difficult, and legal frame­works are often inade­quate. Drawing on case studies of acti­vists in Cameroon, Colombia, and Myan­mar, this TraCe Policy Brief aims to (1) out­line the challenges posed by in­creasing digital violence against activists and (2) identify how policy­makers world­wide might res­pond to this issue.