MONITORING METHODOLOGY
As technical attacks on online media, pressures on journalists and misuse of digital tools have increased, SHARE Foundation has recognised the need to keep track of breaches of digital rights and freedoms. Through continuous monitoring of online public communications, SHARE Foundation produced periodical reports and presented findings and trendsin this field. To provide a clear classification of the registered cases, SHARE created a methodology containing information on types of breaches, the tools used for breaches, both targets and their attackers, the time of their occurrence and other relevant sources for each individualcase. These are all followed with a short description of a case and the result, if there has been one. The monitored categories of breaches are: information security breaches; information privacy and personal data breaches; pressures because of expression and activities on the internet; manipulation and propaganda in the digital environment; holding intermediaries liable; blocking and filtering of content; other breaches.
HOW DO WE MONITOR DIGITAL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS?
Developing a methodology to classify and monitor digital rights and breaches of freedoms is a continuous process, having in mind the expansion of technologies and tools in the online sphere. Over the years, the methodology has been updated and improved several times. The current version was published in June 2019 (version 2.1).
There are seven different categories of digital rights and freedoms breaches and several sub-categories under each:
A. Information security breaches: cases of information systems breaches, e.g. unauthorised access, DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attacks to disable access to certain content, theft and destroying of data, etc. The sub-categories describing these breaches in greater detail are:
1. Making content unavailable through technical means
2. Destruction and theft of data and programs
3. Computer fraud
4. Unauthorised access – unauthorised alterations and insertions of content
5. Disabling control over an online account or content
B. Information privacy and personal data breaches: cases of data leaking, illegal data processing or interception of communications. The following sub-categories describe such breaches more thoroughly:
1. Publishing information about private life
2. Illegal interception of electronic communications
3. Breaches of citizens’ personal data
4. Illegal personal data processing
5. Breaches of information privacy in the workplace
6. Other breaches of information privacy
C. Pressures because of expression and activities on the internet: these breaches refer to honour and reputation, endangering security, discrimination and hatred, freedom of expression in the workplace, and pressures on individuals because of publishing information on the internet. The sub-categories are the following:
1. Publishing falsehoods and unverified information with the intention to damage reputation
2. Insults and unfounded accusations
3. Threatening content and endangering of security
4. Hate speech and discrimination
5. Freedom of expression on the internet and the workplace
6. Pressures because of publishing information
D. Manipulation and propaganda in the digital environment: these breaches include different forms of content dissemination and online manipulation done to achieve certain goals – which often turn out to be economic. These breaches are more specifically explained through several sub-categories:
1. Creating fake accounts and paid promotion of false content
2. Content manipulation and organised reporting on social media
3. Changes to or removal of content that is in the public interest
4. Placement of commercial content as news
5. Other manipulation in the digital environment
E. Holding intermediaries liable: these breaches refer to pressures on internet providers, such as hosting providers and content removal requests and service refusals, by threatening legal measures, punishments, or by blocking. There is only one sub-category:
1. Pressures because of user-generated content
F. Blocking and filtering of content: in these cases, certain content has been technically blocked at national or organisational level, or when platform algorithms block or suspend legitimate content (e.g. video parody). The sub-categories are as follows:
1. Blocking/filtering on the network level
2. Algorithmic blocking or suspension of content
G. Other: other breaches of digital rights and freedoms not included in the categories defined so far.
In addition to the above-mentioned categories and sub-categories, monitoring also provides information on attackers and affected parties. They may include journalists, public figures, state officials, citizens, activists and others. If it is possible to identify it, descriptions of cases also contain the means of attack. This could be technical (malware attacks, code injection, reconnaissance attacks, interception attacks, access attacks, flooding/denial of service attacks) or legal (private lawsuits, criminal complaints, arrests and detentions, important judgments, confiscations and searches, misdemeanor complaints).
Outcomes of cases are also monitored. The monitoring mentions any legal and other measures taken regarding a case, and whether there has been a final court judgment or not.