Derechos Digitales launches “Tips for digital safety during protests”, a guide for citizen protection in Ecuador and Peru

By Derechos Digitales

We are grateful to APC for translating and publishing this guide in English.

In recent weeks, Ecuador and Peru have faced intense social and political upheaval on the domestic front. Various human rights bodies, including the United Nations and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), have called attention in both national contexts to the need to respect peaceful protest and to look into the alleged use of excessive force in connection with possible forced disappearances, arbitrary detentions and homicides, which must be investigated diligently and impartially.

In each case, we extend our solidarity and urge the governments of Peru and Ecuador to guarantee, protect and respect the right to peaceful protest, as well as the right to life, liberty and physical integrity of protesters, in accordance with the rights to due process and presumption of innocence. We call on international human rights bodies, civil society and other states of the region to monitor the unfolding and outcome of the protests in both countries and to demand transparency and accountability regarding the actions of law enforcement authorities.

In these scenarios of social upheaval, ongoing strikes and other forms of citizen mobilisation and protest, we know that what is also at stake is the safety of individuals. Which is why Derechos Digitales has launched “Tips for digital safety during protests”, a guide containing recommendations and resources to help people exercise their rights to participation and freedom of expression without jeopardising their personal data and privacy.

What is happening in Ecuador and Peru?

On 22 September, labour, Indigenous and campesino organisations launched a national strike in Ecuador. With the strike continuing today, we are seeing growing numbers of murders, disappearances, cases of torture and illegal detentions. The national government claims to be waging an “internal war” against terrorism and drug trafficking to justify massive human rights abuses.

In Peru, amid an institutional crisis, several sectors have been staging social protests against a national transitional government. On 15 October, a strike and mobilisation were met with repression, resulting in at least 75 people injured. Peruvian civil society is demanding immediate action from the executive branch and congress, as well as reforms to the political system and the implementation of security and employment policies. For its part, the IACHR issued a statement urging the Peruvian government to guarantee that the adoption of political decisions is done in accordance with the constitutional order, and calling for a democratic dialogue.

In these contexts of social and political unrest, cases of digital interference and surveillance of citizens have been detected in both countries. Some days ago, more than 50 social activists and leaders in Peru woke up to find their mobile phones blocked. At the same time, in some regions of Ecuador, internet signals are being blocked, as denounced by human rights organisations, cutting off communications for the population and limiting the possibility of reporting on the situation.

Tips for digital safety during protests

Participating, protesting, informing and speaking out are not causes for censorship or digital harassment. People’s rights must be respected both online and offline. In view of the ongoing protests in Ecuador and Peru, Derechos Digitales offers this guide with recommendations for citizen digital safety.

If you need to send sensitive information or suspect you might be under state surveillance, the best messaging app you can use is Signal, not WhatsApp or Telegram. Signal differs from WhatsApp in that it does not store any user information. If it receives a police or corporate request for data, the only information this messaging company has to give is the date on which you created your account and the last date you connected to the Signal service, nothing more. It does not store messages, photos or contacts.

To make sure that your messages reach their destination safely, we suggest you use text messages, because if you have poor connectivity or you are experiencing some kind of attempt to interfere with connectivity, images and voice messages can take much longer to go through.

2. Protect your identity and that of others

If you are going to make videos or take pictures of protests and other actions, it is important that you protect the identity of other people so that they cannot be identified. You can configure this with Signal’s blur tools. We also suggest that you post the content after the protest, to reduce the risk of unintentionally exposing fellow protesters.

3. Scrub metadata on photos you take

Signal removes metadata by default, so that any images you send via the app will not contain such information. You can also manually remove metadata from your photographs this way in Android devices and this way in devices with iOS.

4. Use a VPN to browse more securely

There are many VPNs you can use to protect your internet browsing activity, blocking geolocation and leaving no traces of your activity. The Riseup VPN is a good option. For devices with iOS, we recommend Proton VPN.

5. Turn off location services on your phone

For Android devices: Settings > Location > Disable.

For iOS devices: Settings > Privacy & Security > Location (disable) / Tracking (disable).

6. Use offline maps

If you need to navigate with GPS, use an offline maps application, such as Organic Maps. Before going offline, download a map of the area where you will be mobilising. Organic Maps is available for both Android and iOS.

7. Turn off your phone or enable airplane mode

As an alternative measure, you can turn off your phone or use it only in airplane mode. This could be useful in the event law enforcement requests telephone companies to disclose data for devices connected in certain conflict areas.

8. Consider bringing an alternative mobile phone with you

If you have the possibility of accessing a phone other than the one you normally use, take that one with you to protests. In these situations, it is better to use a device that has no history of online activity or personal information on it. And always remember to have a well-charged phone and a charging cable (or an external/portable power bank).

9. Backup websites

If you suspect that your web page or other websites containing important information may be taken down, we suggest you make a permanent backup. We recommend the archiving website Archive.today for this.

10. Be mindful of what you wear

The recommended attire for demonstrations is clothing that covers your body, such as full-length pants and long-sleeved shirts, for protection. Any garment or accessory worn over your face serves a dual purpose: it shields you from tear gas and prevents unwanted identification.

Other resources for digital safety during protests

Civil society organisations have been building digital resilience in Latin America for years now. In this section we recommend additional resources and tools.

On the Derechos Digitales website you can find helpful articles for these types of exceptional situations. For example, in this column we offer tips on how to make sure you remove messages in the event of a risk of intrusion. In another post, we discuss digital footprints, reflecting on data and privacy and recommending tools to safeguard them. We have also put together a resource guide in this column, with the aim of promoting digital security for LGBTQIA+ people and activists in particular.

The latest resources, and the most relevant for the contexts of Ecuador and Peru, are being developed by local ally organisations. La Libre, in collaboration with INREDH and others, launched a guide for using Signal securely. In addition, together with Taller de Comunicación Mujer, Centro de Autonomía Digital and Conexión Educativa, they shared tips for reporting during a protest when phone signals are blocked or saturated. In Peru, Hiperderecho launched www.ciudadaniabajoataque.pe, a platform for documenting attacks and activating collective defence.

Surveillance Self-Defense, Espacio Público and WITNESS offer additional tools.