Documenting the Truth in the U.S. and Abroad

Dear Friend,

For many across the United States, learning about the Cambridge Analytica scandal was the first time they became aware of how their data and security are often compromised by the social media platforms we engage with every day. As law enforcement agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continue to function unshackled by the Trump administration, immigrant communities, activists, and other marginalized folks in the U.S. face increased threats to their safety and security that go far beyond Cambridge Analytica. 

Understanding how we engage with social media platforms, and how information can be collected and potentially used against us is critical to knowing how we can better safeguard at-risk communities. To better understand how we can address people’s concerns around Facebook, we worked with our partners at Make the Road New York to compile a list of digital security questions from immigrant community members.

Thanks to our Tech Advocacy Program Manager, Dia Kayyali, data and security expert Sarah Aoun, and public defender and social justice lawyer with Legal Aid, Bina Ahmad, for helping us answer these questions and working to keep our movements safe.

Read our blog post to learn more-- Using Facebook in an Era of Mass Deportation. This analysis of risk on Facebook extends from our project Eyes on ICE. Through the project, we have produced case studies and guidance on using video to expose ICE's manipulative tactics and advocate for immigrant communities. Select recourses are available in Arabic, French, Haitian Creole and Spanish.

Here are some more highlights from the past few months: 

• Our Indigenous Voices webinar was recently featured in Vantage! This one-hour online workshop offers practical guidance for Native Americans and Indigenous activists interested in safely, ethically and effectively using video for evidence and advocacy.  
• WITNESS is proud to join We Have Rights - a national empowerment campaign from Brooklyn Defender Services, ACLU and MediaTank Productions that provides critical information to communities threatened by ICE through 4 short animated videos available in 6 languages. 
• Our U.S. Program Manager, Jackie Zammuto, spoke to Motherboard about the retaliation and harassment people often face after filming and exposing incidents of police violence. Learn more about our work on documenting police abuse here.

We thank you for standing with WITNESS and your support of a more just and inclusive society! 

Links:

• Facebook in an era of mass deportation
• Eyes on ICE