EXERCISE 3: DIGITAL SAFETY
Working in small groups, identify all the digital risks described or implied in the scenario and propose a digital safety plan. Your plan should address communication tools, device security social media practices and contingency planning for a potential shutdown. Allow 20 minutes, then share plans with the rest of the groups and identify gaps.
Scenario.
Protest against the Foreign Influence Law, Georgia, 2024
A civil society coalition in Tbilisi is organising a street protest against Georgia’s Foreign Agents Law, which requires organisations receiving more than 20 per cent of their funding from abroad to register as ‘carrying the interests of a foreign power’. Critics argue the law is modelled on Russian legislation used to silence independent media and civil society, and its passage triggered some of the largest protests Georgia has seen in years.
The coalition includes civil society staff, student activists and independent journalists. Organisers have been coordinating primarily via a WhatsApp group with over 80 members. Several participants are employed by organisations that would be directly affected by the law and fear professional retaliation if identified at the protest. One organiser has already received anonymous threatening messages on social media. There are credible reports that authorities monitored participants’ phones at previous protests and that footage from protests was used to identify and question protesters afterwards.
Questions
- The coalition is currently coordinating via WhatsApp. What are the risks this creates, and what should they switch to? How should they manage the transition without losing participants?
- Several members are worried about being identified in protest footage. What steps can the group take before, during and immediately after the protest to reduce this risk?
- If digital networks are disrupted during the protest, what is the contingency plan for keeping the coordination team in contact with each other and with participants?