Activists’ Strategies for Coping with Technology-Facilitated Violence in the Global South

Activists’ use of ICTs in contexts affected by violence poses challenges like digital surveillance. Based on 92 interviews with activists from Bolivia, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Colombia, India, Myanmar, and Nicaragua, this study explores their protection and coping strategies against technology-facilitated violence. Findings show limited emphasis on digital security and privacy-enhancing technologies, primarily due to the usability and familiarity with popular applications, coupled with relative unfamiliarity with other features. Generally, some precautions, like avoiding real-time location sharing, are common. While many protection strategies are similar, some are shaped by local factors like internet shutdowns and different adversaries’ capabilities. The findings demonstrate that some tools and features, such as VPN, may offer protection but also pose risks, e.g., in the case of criminalization, highlighting the crucial role of local context. Designing secure and usable features that account for the varying levels of limitations, such as poor connectivity and risks activists face, is essential.