after which the experts can decide to share the information with relevant
institutions for further investigation. Importantly, eyeWitness to Atrocities
only runs on mobile phones using Android operating systems.
KoboToolbox, developed by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, is an
alternative program that can be used on an iPhone. Although KoboToolbox
does not currently have an iPhone application, iPhone users can use the
program through a webforms integration based on Enketo. 217 Similarly,
Physicians for Human Rights is currently developing the application
MediCapt (for more information on these applications, see Section 3.1.2 on
Digital Information). 218
Communication and Online Activity
When communicating and carrying out other activities online, it is
important to consider the following factors:
• Never assume that lines of communication are secure.
• Avoid communicating sensitive information via telephone, fax,
radio, electronic mail (e-mail), and even registered mobile phones.
• If doing so is unavoidable, use code words for names, places, or
events.
• Use pay-as-you-go SIM cards for mobile phones or public
telephones.219
• Be aware that online activity can be tracked. For instance, your
Internet Service Provider (ISP) can easily control and record all
internet activity from your computer. Many countries only have
one ISP that is often controlled by the government. Many other
countries require all ISPs to monitor and report on internet
activity. 220
• Public key encryption (PKE) is a common method of encrypting
electronic and digital communications, mainly electronic messages.
When using PKE, you will have a key composed of two intertwined
parts: a public and a private key. What one encrypts with the
former can only be decrypted with the latter.
217
See http://www.kobotoolbox.org/#block-block-9.
See http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/medicapt.
219
Amnesty International and CODESRIA, Ukweli. Monitoring and Documenting Human Rights
Violations in Africa: A Handbook, 38 (2000), available at
https://www.amnesty.nl/sites/default/files/public/ukw_eng.pdf.
220
In Russia for instance, this information is subsequently directly transmitted to the Federal Security
Service (FSB). Dmitri Vitaliev, Digital Security and Privacy for Human Rights Defenders, FRONT LINE, 43
(Feb. 2007), available at http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/files/en/esecman.en_.pdf.
218
132
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