The ptivotes.com fiasco is a classic example of the danger of things going viral, but mostly the unrestrained approach of clicking send without verifying and eagerly divulging personal information. Here’s what happened. SMSes and Facebook post/status shares of the following started doing the rounds:

Everyone who had a vote and was voting for PTI, go to ptivotes.com Enter your name, your designated NA, eg NA-48, and enter your CNIC number. The form will be converted into a petition and sent to ECP. Spread the word.

Upon receiving this message, red flags and alarm bells should have been the immediate response. But not for most people. So enthusiastic were they to register their protest in any form, they willingly entered the information asked of them, before first verifying whether this was an official site or not.

Later in the day, the website was taken down and the database made it into the hands of PTI officials. Supporters were instructed by Awab Alvi and Asad Umar to refrain from entering their personal information on the site. Twitter account @PTIofficial also tweeted: http://Ptivotes.com is not an official initiative of PTI, please don’t give personal data to this website until further notice.

The enthusiasm and zeal to lodge a protest is understandable, but people need to make a practice of stopping, thinking, verifying and then providing personal information. The same goes for announcing such methods of registering one’s protest. To those requesting the data, ask yourself: Are you authorized to collect this data and are you capable of keeping it secure so it is not misused? To those volunteering their information, it is always good to be suspicious of the person asking you for this information. Why do they want it and what will they do with it? And, most importantly, do they have the authority to ask for it? Because, remember, once out there, you don’t know where your information goes, who has access to it, and what they use it for.

For a moment, imagine what the flip side could be. That it was not a friend, supporter or party member receiving your information but someone who wished to identify supporters with a malicious intent.

The case in point reveals our general attitude towards sharing of information and lack of cautiousness or reluctance when sharing  it with others. That is the first step to privacy violation – willingly submitting your personal information without questioning. And, ironically, you yourself are the violator.

While an honest mistake, we found this to be reminiscent of a social experiment Bolo Bhi conducted at a slot allotted to us during Xenith Digital’s Social Media Baithak held at T2F. Before we began our session, we placed questionnaires on each chair. We requested audience members to take the first 10 minutes to fill out the information and hand it back to us. On the form, we had fields such as CNIC, phone number, house address etc. As soon as the first participant was ready to hand back the filled out form, we stopped and asked: do you trust us with your information? Why are you giving it to us? Just because we asked you? Of course we did not collect the forms, we asked the audience members to make sure they kept them and took it with them when they left.

Sometimes we are too intimidated to think or question. But toughen up because it works. Many of our readers who have been to the US or Indian embassy would’ve surely have been stopped by men in civilian clothes, claiming to be from intelligence agencies, approaching every visitor and asking for personal information. How many of you ever stopped and asked the person to prove his identity before proceeding to fill him on all your personal details? Some people we know did. And so when the third time he was asked to prove his identity, the distressed officer responded: please, if any of your friends or relatives plan to come to the embassy, tell them I really am from an agency.

Your information is yours. Sometimes you are required to provide it. But verify when the request is legal and when it is not. And even then, be aware of how it is to be received, handled, secured and transferred.

The post Your personal information should not be up for grabs appeared first on Bolo Bhi.

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The post 60 Seconds Election Films Festival: Videos Are Out appeared first on Bolo Bhi.

April 12, 2013

1. YouTube to Remain Blocked in Pakistan

2. YouTube Ban Disrupts Other Services in Pakistan

3. Pakistan Blamed for Worldwide YouTube Break

4. Newsline June 2010 Coverstory: It’s not about Facebook, it’s about facing the world… and In the Name of the Law

5. Document on Intermediary Liability

April 26, 2013

1. Citizen Lab report – Planet Blue Coat: Mapping Global Censorship and Surveillance Tools

The post Bolo Bhi’s Submissions to Court in YouTube Case appeared first on Bolo Bhi.

It has already been established that the ban on YouTube is overbroad; access to a lot of educational videos among other content, has been restricted. However, the problem with reopening YouTube in Pakistan – officially – remains linked to the ‘Innocence of Muslims’ video. There judge’s view is that reopening the platform without restricted access to the video has the potential of sparking off violence. And so as soon as access to the video can be restricted, YouTube can be reopened.

The simple solution would be just not to watch the video. Unless one makes an effort to go to the specific URL, the video will not just show up. The other thing to do for those who feel strongly about the content would be to flag it. If enough people consider the content to be hurtful, they have the option of reporting it. Once a certain threshold is reached, a video is  reviewed against community guidelines to see whether it violates them and is taken down. However, neither of these are the popular solutions. Not that the take-down system itself is free of problems – it also has the potential of being misused.

The architecture of the Internet is such that there is no way of really restricting access; there are always ways of getting to something. And so trying to block is really an exercise in futility. As it is, most Pakistanis have been accessing YouTube through the use of proxies, rendering the ban in place redundant.

Amicus Khurram Zafar maintained it was not the business of the state to determine what one should view or not view. That discretion should be exercised in the home. He advocated self regulation vs state regulation. Just as parents use safety tools and browsers that prevent their children from accessing certain content, the same can be done for the video in question – users can install softwares in their own machines to restrict access. But one person’s morality cannot be applied to another’s or extended to apply to the country’s people as a whole.

Interestingly enough, the PTA official also said content blocking was not their mandate, and neither should it be. Rightly so. Currently, it appears to be the mandate of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for the Evaluation of Websites (IMCEW). The IMCEW comprises representatives of the following ministries: Ministry of Information and Technology, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Cabinet Division and, apparently also a representative of the ISI, as revealed by the PTA official. In fact, it was the federation lawyer who mentioned it was the IMCEW that had ordered an ‘IP level’ ban on YouTube in September, when it convened to discuss the issue. A document in this regard with the decision in writing was submitted to court on April 12. But this also raises the question, whether government functionaries should be the sole decision makers?

[See our E-Regulations Timeline]

Updates:

May 3, 2013: No hearing was held, however, Caretaker Minister for Information and Technology, Ms Sania Nishtar made a written submission to court. In it, she stated the matter of localizing YouTube was being pursued with the Google/YouTube administration.  The honourable judge, in his court order, provided Google with the option of EITHER submitting a written response to court OR appointing a representative to appear in court. The manner in which the company decides to respond was left to its discretion.

May 16, 2013: An MoIT official informed the court that Google has asked for more time to submit a response to court. Hearing of the case adjourned to July.

See also: Bolo Bhi’s Submissions to Court in YouTube Case

Farieha Aziz was appointed as an amicus curiae on behalf of Bolo Bhi on April 4, 2013, by Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah in the YouTube case currently being heard at the Lahore High Court.

The post Bolo Bhi Amicus Reports on YouTube Case Hearings appeared first on Bolo Bhi.

پاس ورڈ: اولین دفاع

آپ کتنے پاس ورڈ استعمال کرتے ہیں؟

اپنے پاس ورڈز ک بغیر لکهے آپ کیسے یاد رکهتے ہیں؟

کیا آپ اپنے پاس ورڈ اس خوف سے تبدیل نہیں کرتے کہ کہیں بهول نہ جائیں؟

کیا آپ ہر مقصد کے لیے ایک ہی پاس ورڈ استعمال کرتے ہیں؟
 

محفوظ پاس ورڈ آپ کی معلومات کے تحفظ کا اہم جزو ہے چاہے آپ آن لائن ہوں یا آف لائن۔ انٹرنیٹ کے ذریعہ

معاشرتی تعلقات میں اضافہ کے سبب پاس ورڈ کے استعمال کے مواقع بهی بڑهتے جا رہے ہیں۔

آج کل آپ کی معلومات صرف آپ کے اپنے کمپیوٹر تک ہی محدود نہیں، بلکہ انٹرنیٹ پر گوگل اور فیس بک پر بهی

موجود ہیں۔ آن لائن معلومات متعدد خطرات سے دوچار ہو سکتی ہیں۔

• کیا آپ کو یاد ہے کہ آخری بار آپ نے کب پاس ورڈ تبدیل کیا تها؟ 

• کیا آپ دو یا اس سے زیادە جگہ پر ایک ہی پاس ورڈ استعمال کرتے ہیں؟

• کیا کوئی استعمال شدہ پاسورڈ آپ نے دوبارە استعمال کیا ہے؟

• کبهی بهی کسی کو پاس ورڈ بتایا ہے؟

• آپ کے پاسورڈ میں لغت یا ڈکشنری میں درج الفاظ یا عام معلومات (مثلاً قریبی عزیز کا نام، سالگرہ، گهر کا پتہ وغیرہ شامل ہیں؟

• آپ کے پاس ورڈ میں آٹہ یا اس سے کم ہندسے ہیں؟

• کبهی اپنا پاس ورڈ کسی کاغذ پر لکها ہے؟

• آن لائن سرور استعمال کرنے کے لیے عام انٹرنیٹ کیفے پر کپیوٹر استعمال کیے ہیں؟ وہاں کے تحفظ اور رازداری کے نظام سے آپ مطمئن ہیں؟

تجاویز\حل

• پاس ورڈ جتنا لمبا ہو گا اتنا بہتر ۔ کم از کم بارہ ہندسے یا زیادہ مثلاً

• (heer-izIw/12) ۔

• مذید محفوظ بنانے کے لیے الفاظ کو توڑئیے، ترتیب بدل دیں اور مخصوص حروف جیسا کہ@$! کا استعمال کریں۔

• نیز چهوٹا جملہ بهی استعمال کر سکتے ہیں مثلاً کسی کتاب کا نام جیسا کہda vinci code’ یا کسی گانے کا 

  نام۔

  
  

  ڈاونلوڈ کریں :

  پاس ورڈ: اولین دفاع

  ویبسیٹ:

  https://protect.tacticaltech.org/content/flash-training-materials

   ترجمعہ:

  علی جواد ھنسراج،

  طایر عمران

The post پاس ورڈ: اولین دفاع appeared first on Bolo Bhi.

When we read other people’s stories about abuse they seem simple, we are able to  identify the culprit, frustrate ourselves thinking about the lack of response from those affected and the witnesses; put yourself in the same place and its an entirely different scenario altogether. It might  because when we read other people’s narratives or hear their stories we paint a picture of the abuser as someone far from reality, someone we can not relate to in our daily lives, you don’t imagine your colleague, a family member or even an acquaintance to ever be capable of abuse. Yet, abusers aren’t people with special features, they don’t walk around with labels that make them identifiable, they are among us. Sometimes even better, more helpful and approachable of the lot. But that doesn’t mean abuse can’t be identified, it just means when it happens most of us are reluctant to call it out for more reasons than one.

What happens when we decide to call it out? For starters,if you are suffering emotional abuse the process of identifying it, comprehending it and then mustering the courage to speak out against it is frustrating. If you’re the one witnessing it gets even more complex, as there are times when the victim/survivor doesn’t want their experiences shared, there’s always a fear of a backlash, a constant guilt that one maybe over-reacting compounded with the insecurity that more people would believe the abuser over them. It is strange, regardless of where you are and what form of abuse you are suffering/witnessing most of the feelings remain the same. The uncertainty, frustrations, episodes of murky details followed by absolute clarity. It’s not easy. But unreal as it may sound it takes one moment of clarity to make that decision, to take the step to move forward, to decide that it is time to speak out and its crucial that you do. But what happens when you finally make that decision to call someone out? and can that be altered if you decide to follow a certain pattern to ‘call out’?. Dont get me wrong, I am not trying to put the onus to educate on the ones that suffer or those that witness it. But having been in a place where ‘calling out’ has resulted in backlash so brutal its left those involved with a commitment never to speak again, it has made me reconsider our tactics; or the more commonly used tactics.

What is calling out? It is a method for  revealing  privileged, abusive, bigoted or problematic behaviors to others publicly or show a mistake to the person  in trying to hopefully trigger some accountability. Call outs are mostly and usually a public outburst of information about a problematic behavior, in case of abuse it may be an outburst in front of a limited yet relevant audience. Yet, no matter how much courage it takes for someone to speak out against the abuse it is important to brace oneself for questions. It might seem crude to expect someone suffering from abuse to be answering questions and fighting doubts but that the fact remains if you call out is about making sure that the abuser is known and held accountable for their behavior you must equip yourselves for all possible scenarios. From my experience, I have found that its important to have proof, you should not be expected to reason and elaborate abusive behavior but proof could be as simple as a note to the abuser identifying to him that you find his behavior abusive. Make allies, if you feel like you are an in an abusive make sure to tell someone about this.

Having someone witness the behavior will only strengthen your resolve against the abuse. Let the abuser know that you will not tolerate such behavior. More importantly when you decide to call some one out know that it not a dialogue starter, it is not about revenge or seeking an apology, calling out abuse is a small step in the larger struggle to change our perception of, approach and reach to abuse. It is the starting point to a larger struggle, even if it begins with you saying: Your are being abusive, this will not betolerated any further. Zero tolerance to abuse is only the starting point to ending the culture of abuse .

The post Why its important to call out abuse appeared first on Bolo Bhi.

AP Photo/B.K. Bangash

“There is no hope for Pakistan”

“RIP Pakistan”

“The Country has gone to the dogs”

Rest in peace Pakistan. It was the first message I read on my twitter feed this afternoon. It didn’t take much time to scroll down, and read the tragic news. Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan’s minority minister and the only Christian member of the cabinet, had been shot dead. Shock, horror, fear — it’s difficult to pinpoint what came first.

“I am tired of false optimism”

Images of Bhatti’s car splattered all over the screen. It’s a picture we have seen far too many times. Cars riddled with bullet marks, shattered glass, blood-stained seats. All the while an avid reporter speaks away, gripping his branded microphone, looking straight into the camera, informing the audience of yet another assassination.

“… unknown gun men opened fire… succumbed to injuries.. killed in broad daylight..”

Same words. A different place. A different man.

There is no doubt that it becomes increasingly difficult to remain hopeful when the future appears bleak.  It’s only been eight weeks since Governor Salmaan Taseer was gunned downby his own guard.

“…gun men opened fire… succumbed to injuries.. killed in broad daylight..”

In Taseer’s case we know who the gunman is. We remember his face, smug, that smirk on his face and in his eyes. They were filled with contentment as he smiled into the camera. But his own admission, not just in his words but also in his face, his eyes, his smile — none of it has made a difference.

“Anyone who opposes the sacred law will face a fate similar to Taseer”

These words have been repeated over and over again by overzealous men standing at the backs of Shehzore trucks with megaphones in their hands, reinforcing their message loud and strong. They have been going around the city, issuing warnings, further silencing what they call the ‘silent majority.’

They have done it again. Another one of us has been gunned down. It is true that Bhatti’s assassination is a huge setback for the minorities in Pakistan. But it is not just that. Governor Taseer was a dangerous precedent for the democratic government, currently in power, while this is a reinforcement. It shines a glaring spotlight on the failure of governance that has prevented the state from upholding the rule of law.

Taseer’s assassination and the events after have made it clear that the extremist powers will do their best to silence every single voice that stands against them.

There are  striking similarities between the assassination of  both Taseer and Bhatti. A pattern that is obvious. Like Taseer, Bhatti was shot over 20 times. They were both killed in the federal capital of Islamabad.

It takes only one bullet to kill a man.

The fact that their assassins riddled their bodies is reflective of the intensity of compounded hatred. It is also to create a spectacle. It is to make a mark, not just one but many. Literally.

Despite being under threat, Bhatti was provided with inadequate security. Taseer was gunned down by his own guard. More importantly, their assassins called out for their murder in broad daylight, burned effigies, circulated pamphlets carrying extremist messages, and marched in the streets, calling out for their deaths.

It is then appalling that the authorities offered another sacrifice to the voracious and insatiable appetites of extremism.  Bhatti’s murder is a firm reminder that a meek response to violence will only appease the militant groups.

In the aftermath of the assassination of Governor Taseer, the tone of many of this Government’s spokespersons lacked the kind of condemnation the situation demanded. Instead, official statements and even media coverage reeked of apologies. Fueling the conservative vs liberal fire that has shrouded this country in a cloud of smoke has led to a polarized environment.

It’s only been a few hours since the assassination of the minister, and I see the same ritual. TV anchors have resorted to hinting that the assassination may be a tactic to shift focus from the Davis controversy, thereby undermining the heinous crime.

“…why was he traveling without security…he was assassinated because”

But before someone points out that Bhatti’s death is the death of liberalism in Pakistan and blames the victim for having an opinion, I want to disagree. Saying that Bhatti or Taseer’s death is the death of liberalism in Pakistan is undermining their stature and their cause. Their voice is the voice of every humanist. Theirs is a humanitarian cause. A cause that is not exclusive to the liberal or conservative ideologies. Their stance should appeal to all, and the state should not allow religious bigotry to distort their message.

The assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti is a result of an ongoing campaign concerted to silence every single voice that stands for justice and equality.  Those 40,000 men that took to the streets after Taseer’s was assassinated were mobilized as a result of months of campaigning.

The writings on the wall are clear. The extremist forces have been using all mediums to spread intolerance and bigotry. The calls for murder in weekly sermons  at mosques have gone unchecked. Religious decrees are being passed by those who are not even qualified Muftis. All this has been been unhindered because the state appears to kowtow to these demands. It is time for the authorities to reclaim public spheres, and speak out against these assassinations. It is time to put these criminals on trial, and uphold the rule of law. Only then can we expect inter-faith harmony and tolerance.

Perhaps the one message that we all must keep reading to ourselves is by Shehrbano Taseer. I quote her tweet:

I don’t knw abt the rest of you but this makes me more determined to keep fighting for a progressive Pak, not more scared [sic]

Let us learn strength from those who have lost.  If the sane and powerful voices don’t speak out now, they may be silenced forever.

The post Remembering Shahbaz Bhatti: Stand Up in Peace appeared first on Bolo Bhi.

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Immediate Steps:

• Issue a disclaimer. Let people know about the presence of an impersonator and request them to report it. Social networks respond quickly to block or spam reports done by multiple people.
• Do not engage with the troll. These profiles mostly thrive on attention providing them that is only going to make matters worse. Ignore & report.
• Start writing an impersonation report.

Things to consider when writing an impersonation report/complaint: 

• Keep you ID handy. Most social networks demand you send them a copy of your ID to report impersonation.[Note: We do not support providing your personal information to any social network.Privacy is Key. If you do it for the sake of proving your ID please demand to know the privacy policy and share minimal information possible]
• Information is key. Social networks with millions of users get a lot of requests reporting spam, you want to keep your information brief and apt.
• The key to establish impersonation is through proving that the identity belongs to you. Therefore this format may be helpful: ” Name of Original ID: URL: Date Of Creation, Name of Impersonater: URL: Date of Creation”, this format is usually most helpful as it clarifies instant that your account was created first and the impersonator has since created a fake ID. If someone is impersonating your account on a social network before you created an account, consider adding detail of your other networks or any information that will help establish your or your campaigns identity.
• Get others to file a complaint as well. This will build pressure and also validate your identity. If you are an organization or a campaign your avid followers will vouch for the fact that you are infact the original representative/source, if it is your personal ID testimony of friends and family is an added benefit.

How to report impersonation on Facebook:

To file a report with facebook go here

Facebook Help Center Lists ways to report impersonation

How do I report a fake account that’s pretending to be me?

Fake timelines created to imitate real people (impostor accounts) are not allowed on Facebook. If someone created an account pretending to be you:

1. Go to the timeline
2. Click the  and then select Report/Block
3. Check the box next to Report this timeline
4. Click This person is pretending to be someone
5. Select Me from the drop-down menu
6. Click Continue
7. Add a description for why you’re reporting the timeline
8. Check the box next to I confirm that this report is correct
9. Click Continue to submit your report

If you don’t have a Facebook account, please file a report here.
If you’ve lost access to an account you created, learn how to secure your account.

 

How to report impersonation on Twitter:

Let’s first understand what Twitter considers imperonation according to its policies:

An account will not be removed if

• the user shares your name but has no other commonalities, or
• the profile clearly states it is not affiliated with or connected to any similarly-named individuals.

Who can report an impersonation account?

Twitter’s policies require that impersonation reports come from the individual being impersonated or someone legally authorized to act on his or her behalf.

If you are reporting an account that is impersonating someone else, you will need to provide proof that you are authorized to act on their behalf. If you are attempting to report for another individual and you are not their legal representative, we will not take action on your removal request.

• Report to Twitter here

For more help please read Twitter FAQs here

What information do I need to include when reporting impersonation?
In order to investigate impersonation, we need the following information:

Username of the person impersonating you (or the URL of their profile page):
Your First and Last Name:
Your Twitter username (if you have one):
Address:
Phone:
Brief description of the impersonating content:
If you are not the person involved in the impersonation, but are legally authorized to act their behalf, please include the information above in addition this information:

Your Name:
Phone:
Fax:
Company Website:
Company domain email address:
Your title and legal relationship to the person/entity involved:

You can then file a Ticket Request using this form on the Twitter website.

How to report impersonation on Google+:

• To report impersonation on Google+ go here  

• To report an impersonation on Blogger please go here

The post What to do if you are being impersonated online? appeared first on Bolo Bhi.

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