“At TEDIC, we have been working for over a decade to defend digital rights, a commitment that led us in 2023 to become a trusted partner of Meta Inc., the company behind platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. This partnership allows us to act quickly against cybersecurity threats affecting human rights defenders. These include recovering stolen accounts, removing harmful content, protecting against identity theft, and securing sensitive information. By addressing these threats, we enhance the digital protection of individuals who are targeted due to their gender or their work in defending rights.
Why is TEDIC committed to this partnership?
Defending digital rights is essential to protecting human rights in the digital age. At TEDIC, we are the only organization in Paraguay recognized as a trusted partner of Meta, which provides us with a direct communication channel to efficiently manage critical digital security cases. This partnership enables us to respond quickly to cybersecurity threats, influence platform policies, and ensure that the voices of vulnerable users are heard and protected, while also promoting good digital security practices.
Cases of Human Rights Defenders in Paraguay
Since TEDIC became a trusted partner of Meta, we have specifically supported more than ten human rights defenders in Paraguay, directly addressing various types of cyberattacks. These include attacks targeting six human rights activists, some of whom are part of the LGTBIQ+ community and feminist activists. Additionally, we have intervened in four cases of attacks against journalists, communicators, and unions, and in two cases of account theft from cultural and artistic organizations.
Representative cases
To illustrate the importance of our collaboration with Meta and how this partnership positively impacts human rights defenders, we share three representative cases of situations we have managed.
In one of the most significant cases, an activist’s Facebook account was hacked, exposing private data and jeopardizing her personal safety and that of those around her. Thanks to the direct communication channel with Meta, we were able to act quickly, restoring her account and implementing additional measures to protect her from future attacks.
Another notable incident involved a journalist whose Instagram account was hacked after she investigated and exposed political irregularities.This attack compromised her integrity and disrupted the dissemination of public interest information. With our intervention, we managed to restore her access and enhance the security of her profile.
The third case involved an activist from a peasant and indigenous organization who was targeted by a Facebook impersonation attack intended to discredit her and provoke digital gender-based violence. Our intervention was crucial in prompting Meta to remove harmful content and restore the authenticity of the activist’s account, demonstrating the effectiveness of our partnership in protecting those who defend human rights in the digital sphere.
At TEDIC, we recognize digital rights as fundamental to the protection of human rights. Our partnership with Meta allows us to respond quickly to cyberattacks, defending voices that promote justice and rights in digital environments. We believe cybersecurity both protects and empowers, so we take on this responsibility as a collective effort to ensure a digital future where privacy, security and autonomy are rights for all.
If you are a journalist or human rights defender in need of support, write to us at hola@tedic.org.
#25N: We raise our voice against digital violence