REAL LIFE SAFETY RISKS Physical safety and security in the context The people involved in data fall into three of digital data requires a different lens and sometimes overlapping categories: those who approach. For traditional documentation capture the data, those who share it online or collection, human rights professionals often on an external hard drive, and those whose follow intuitive best practices to protect information is contained in the data. themselves and the individuals they interview: meeting secure locations, concealing identifying information confidential, and avoiding going directly into harm’s way. Often people do not realise that a video they are posting online contains sensitive information. If you, as a human rights professional, decide to use a video for a campaign, the source and Physical security for new data methods are, for creator may be targeted for being affiliated with many, not yet as intuitive because there is often your group, even if they’ve never heard of you. no personal relationship between the researcher and the individuals referred to in the data. Those featured in the materials may not have consented, or even been aware that they were Physical and digital security are closely linked. The being filmed. If you publicly reveal their faces purpose of digital security is not only to protect or names in the context of a human rights the data but also to protect the individuals who violation, you may inadvertently cause them to be contributed to or were featured in them. harassed or further abused. If a hacker compromises a server or a checkpoint In the event that you publicise the data, or there official confiscates a hard drive, the names, faces, is an external breach, the source and featured and/or information of a large number of victims individuals may be at increased risk of physical or other vulnerable individuals are compromised. harm even if their information was already Your obligation is to take steps to protect posted online. Worse, it may be difficult to inform yourself and others from additional harm. any of the at-risk individuals of the heightened risk, as the researcher is unlikely to have contact information or other means of reaching those identified. Therefore, avoiding the release of data in the first place is critical. 61