TRIPOLI – The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) recently organized an online training session to equip Libyan journalists with the skills to protect themselves from digital threats. The workshop, held on July 31, addressed rising concerns that digital surveillance and cyberattacks pose a direct risk to their physical safety and that of their sources.
A survey conducted after the event revealed the gravity of the situation: 100% of the attendees believe digital threats increase physical risks, and 85% stated that security concerns have negatively impacted their journalistic work.
Highlighting these dangers, Ahmed Saleh Al Beriaf, a media professor at The Libyan Academy in Tripoli, explained the severe consequences. “If a journalist writes an opinion on social media or covers events that are not to the liking of a militia leader or the de facto authorities they protect, their freedom will be threatened,” he said. “They will be monitored digitally and personally pursued… They then face significant risks, including enforced disappearance, abuse and torture.”
To counter these threats, guest speaker Ela Stapley from the Committee to Protect Journalists shared crucial advice on securing information. This included using encryption, creating strong passwords with two-factor authentication, and using secure messaging apps like Signal and WhatsApp.
Participants stressed the importance of such training. Hadeel Kherr, a freelance journalist, called mastering digital safety an “absolute necessity” for protecting journalists and their sources.