By Palestine Chronicle Staff
The Arab Center for Social Media Advancement published the results of a survey on ‘Palestinian youth’s digital security’, which involved 1285 young Palestinians between the ages of 15 and 25.
The survey was conducted in November 2016, and aimed at monitoring privacy violation, online tracking, digital safety awareness, young people’s usage of internet, and risks and ways of protection, according to ACSMA.
Nadim Nashif, Director of ACSMA, said “this poll is the essence of the center’s work, which seeks to promote digital security awareness in Palestine; i.e. the wise and safe usage of internet that gives no opportunity for other users, authorities and companies to violate the one’s privacy.”
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The survey revealed that 19% of Palestinian youth were intercepted by the authorities; i.e. arrested, or subjected to investigation by Israeli authorities or Palestinian authorities in the West Bank and Gaza for expressing their opinion.
“Individuals in the West Bank, however, had the highest percentage of this; 35%, compared to 11% of Palestinian citizens of Israel, and about 9.5% in the Gaza Strip,” the survey noted.
8% of young people were threatened or blackmailed on social networks; of whom 12% live in the West Bank; 9% of Palestinian citizens of Israel, and 5% in the Gaza Strip.
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“In addition, 11% of young people said that they were forced to delete content of a political nature; of whom 19% were in the West Bank, 11% of Palestinian citizens of Israel, and 2% in the Gaza Strip,” ACSMA continued.
ACSMA, otherwise known as 7amleh, is a professional Palestinian social media center, dedicated to building and managing effective civil campaigns and training individuals on political and social media and marketing. 7amleh also works to advocate for Palestinian digital rights on a local and international level.
(PalestineChronicle.com)
