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We must understand threats in the technology we use every day

Like everyone else, human rights activists use mobile phones, email and social networks to connect. Unlike most people, they criticise states, challenging their actions. As such, they attract their attention.

By Sherif Elsayed-Ali
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Amnesty International campaigners protest against human rights abuses linked to Vedanta's aluminium refinery in Orissa, India, 2010. Lewis Whyld /Press Association. All rights reserved.The greater the effectiveness and reach of human rights defenders (HRDs) and organisations, the more attention will state institutions give them. This means they can be more influential, but also that these institutions will put more time and effort into knowing what they are up to and, potentially, disrupting it.

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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0