by Digitally Right | Feb 23, 2025 | Our work, Updates
South Asia, despite being home to one-fourth of the world’s population and a dynamic hub for tech innovation and burgeoning digital economies, has been consistently overlooked by global funders and tech corporations. Our region is often left grappling with the dual challenge of uneven policies of platforms and emerging authoritarian state regulations that increasingly undermine fundamental freedoms. The lack of context-specific protections provided by tech platforms adds to the unequal and unsafe online experiences for millions in our region, particularly among vulnerable communities. Furthermore, intermediary intervention in the South Asian region leads to a significant lack of meaningful engagement with the communities most affected by rapid technological proliferation and uneven governance.
In January 2025, Digitally Right (Bangladesh), Digital Rights Foundation (Pakistan), and Hashtag Generation (Sri Lanka) convened in Colombo and the Digital Accountability Collective South Asia (DACSA) emerged from a shared commitment to address pressing concerns regarding platform governance, accountability, and the broader impact of existing and emerging technologies in South Asia.
Our collective mission centers on ensuring that tech platforms operate in a manner that is transparent, equitable, and safeguards the rights of all users, particularly those from marginalized communities. We aim to present a unified voice from South Asia with a nuanced understanding of the impact of platform policies and stringent state regulations on our communities. The coalition also aims to learn, understand, contribute, and influence change at regional and local levels, and amplify the voices of civil society working on digital rights and tech justice across South Asia. DACSA will encourage collaboration among groups working in South Asia on digital rights in order to build a regional movement to influence platforms and state policies which are inconsistent with the international human rights framework. Together, we seek to create mechanisms that hold platforms and states accountable while empowering communities with skills, tools and frameworks to navigate the digital world safely and equitably.
As three organizations who have been working with stakeholders for the promotion of digital equity and safety in our respective countries for several years, we also represent and seek to highlight the combined weight that Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan have in the South Asian tech space/audience. The coalition aims to come forth as the first step in a wider South Asian collective that brings together the concerns and wealth of experience of three organizations who have been working on the ground to foster equality and safety in online spaces and hold tech platforms accountable.
DACSA expresses grave concern over the growing trend among social media and tech corporations to enact drastic policy changes, reportedly influenced by commitments to align with the current US administration’s priorities. These shifts, which include delegitimizing fact checking and dismantling safeguards for marginalized communities risk exacerbating misinformation, political instability, communal violence, and democratic backsliding in regions like South Asia.
The erosion of accountability mechanisms, including protections for gender and marginalized identities, blatantly disregards the severe offline consequences of online hate speech and discrimination. By outsourcing enforcement to flawed user-reporting systems and abandoning proactive safeguards, tech companies disproportionately burden vulnerable communities already grappling with systemic harassment and violence. Such actions reveal a troubling prioritization of corporate and political interests over regional safety and equity. We urge all social media and tech companies to halt this dangerous trajectory and engage meaningfully with civil society to develop policies that prioritize user well-being. In South Asia, where digital platforms increasingly dictate political discourse and public safety for millions, the stakes of these profit-driven experiments are intolerably high.
As a collective, we at DACSA remain committed to closely monitoring the evolving digital landscape in South Asia and advocating for stronger, community-driven approaches to tech justice. We will continue to work collaboratively to ensure that the voices and experiences of those most affected are centered in shaping the region’s digital future.
by Digitally Right | Feb 2, 2025 | Our work, Research
Digitally Right is delighted to announce the publication of Technology, People, and Policy, a collection of research papers from the second cohort of the Tech Policy Fellowship. This volume showcases the diverse and impactful work of our fellows, who have explored critical issues at the intersection of technology, policy, and human rights in Bangladesh.
The research in this volume addresses a range of pressing issues. One paper examines cyberbullying among adolescents in Dhaka, focusing on the role of parental mediation. Another investigates the effectiveness of internet shutdowns in curbing misinformation, with a case study on the 2018 Road Safety Movement. Fellows have also explored the implications of discriminatory digital laws on gender-diverse communities, the rising threats of technology-driven human trafficking, and the risks to personal data protection in Bangladesh’s online passport services. Additionally, a study on digitalization in the microfinance sector highlights its impact on women borrowers, shedding light on both opportunities and challenges in financial inclusion.
This publication is a testament to the fellows’ commitment to fostering an open, inclusive, and rights-respecting digital landscape.
We extend our gratitude to our knowledge partner, Access Now, for their invaluable support. A special thanks to our mentors and editorial team for their dedication to refining these research contributions.
We hope these papers enrich policy discussions and inspire further research and advocacy in the evolving tech landscape.
Read the full publication below
by Digitally Right | Dec 30, 2024 | Our work, Updates
As we wrap up 2024, we at Digitally Right Limited find ourselves filled with gratitude and pride. This year has been a journey of growth, learning, and resilience for us. It’s only because of the collective efforts of our small but mighty team, the trust of our partners, and the unwavering support of our community that we’ve come this far.
Celebrating Community: This year, we’ve been honored to strengthen connections within the digital rights community. Through 4 digital rights discussions, 4 civic tech and tech policy workshops, and 7 digital security training, we’ve had the privilege of engaging with 192 remarkable individuals, including CSOs, activists, and journalists. Collaborating with you has been one of the most fulfilling parts of our journey.
Key Highlights
We have three core initiatives that drive our work: Dismislab, Digital Safety School, and the Tech Policy Fellowship. Here is a snapshot of what we achieved this year.
Dismislab had an eventful year, actively addressing disinformation during a politically turbulent 2024 in Bangladesh. It produced 183 articles, 10 newsletters, and a comprehensive research paper. Dismislab’s work was featured in 117 national and international media reports, with one research article recognized by the Global Investigative Journalism Network as exemplary data journalism work for that week it was published in. Its analysis on monetization of disinformation on YouTube also received widespread attention underscoring its vital contributions and presented in several conferences.
Digital Safety School, launched this year to equip individuals and organizations with skills to counter digital threats, conducted 7 training sessions, empowering 81 journalists and advocates. Inspired by the work we did under the Greater Internet Freedom (GIF) project, we launched the school as one of our core programs to support at-risk communities navigating digital threats effectively. Organizations like Committee to Protect journalists, Embassy of Switzerland and ACOS Alliance stepped forward to support the first rounds of training. We are thankful! In collaboration with Swedish Fojo Media Institute and Embassy of Sweden in Dhaka, in the coming years, we envision a long term sustainability of the School offering enhanced support to the community with localized resources, audits and necessary tools.
Tech Policy Fellowship concluded its second iteration this year, uniting a talented cohort of 7 young professionals to tackle pressing tech-policy and digital rights issues, resulting in seven impactful research papers. Accessnow and Meta has been a supporter of the program with knowledge and resources but what made it more meaningful is participation of major digital rights experts and organizations in the region as training facilitator and research mentor. This helps us to build a community of practice on tech policy and digital rights issues and get the fellows connected with their regional and global counterparts. While it attempts to provide knowledge to a group of diverse professionals, this program is a source of immense learning for us.
Partnerships
Our partners have been at the heart of our growth this year. We are incredibly thankful to them for supporting us in our work. We wrapped up the fourth and final phase of the GIF project this year, to which Internews and EngageMedia have been key collaborators. This initiative empowered us to host workshops tailored for CSOs and NGOs focused on digital rights. It also provided an opportunity to train members of the Cyber Support for Women and Children platform, where DRL is an active member, working to protect women and children from online violence. Our ongoing collaboration with Internews on the PORCH Project has given us the opportunity to conduct a multi-country study across India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka to assess the digital rights landscape, policy awareness, and capacity-building needs within the region. As part of this project we also contributed to the development of a game which aims to educate the youth and the marginalized communities on digital safety and responsible online behaviour. Our partnership with the National Democratic Institute (NDI) has allowed us to advance awareness and adoption of Civic Technology in Bangladesh. Through targeted workshops, we engaged young tech professionals, fostering a network of skilled individuals dedicated to adopting and promoting CivicTech solutions effectively. Luminate and Association for Progressive Communication (APC) has been pivotal in advancing our research on misinformation and disinformation, driving impactful initiatives that address these pressing challenges.
This year, alongside our collaboration with organizations, we have engaged extensively with activists and representatives from CSOs and NGOs through various training, workshops, and discussions focused on digital rights. DRL successfully organized four Digital Rights Discussions, attended by 75 participants, including activists and CSO representatives, fostering meaningful dialogue and collaboration. We have also hosted a specialized training session for our eight Tech Policy Fellows, to broaden their understanding of global and local digital rights trends while addressing the challenges posed by state-level and platform-specific policies. Moreover, through our Civic Tech Workshop program, we reached 28 participants across three workshops, promoting awareness and encouraging the adoption of civic technology in Bangladesh. By the end of the year, our discussions, training, and workshops have made an impact on the lives of 111 individuals, of which 47% were women and 53% were men, reflecting our dedication to inclusivity and gender diversity, while maintaining a broad engagement across communities.
These collaborations have been instrumental in shaping our growth, enabling us to expand our reach, tackle complex challenges, and make meaningful contributions to the digital rights landscape.
Publications
Research is at the core of our work. In collaboration with the Media Resources Development Initiative (MRDI) and with support from The Asia Foundation (TAF), DRL published a study on the adoption of AI in Bangladeshi newsrooms. This study examines the current state of AI integration in the media sector, highlighting challenges, opportunities, and pathways for fostering innovation while promoting ethical use of technology in journalism.
Building on its commitment to advancing digital rights, DRL launched a policy brief series to address key priorities in Bangladesh, including digital inclusion, security, and freedom. Among these, a dedicated brief on AI Policy and Governance outlines critical considerations for establishing a framework that balances innovation with ethical safeguards and inclusivity.
Expanding networks
Digitally Right has proudly expanded its global reach by joining two esteemed initiatives: the Global Network Initiative (GNI) and the Sustainable Journalism Partnership. Our membership in GNI reaffirms our dedication to promoting freedom of expression and privacy rights in the digital age, while the Sustainable Journalism Partnership allows us to support sustainable journalism models, media literacy, and access to reliable information. These memberships mark significant milestones, providing platforms for advocacy, collaboration, and knowledge exchange to amplify our impact on the global stage.
This year, Digitally Right expanded its global presence by participating in 10 international forums and conferences. Notably, we attended training sessions on Digital Security and Rights Advocacy under the GIF Project and were part of five panels at Digital Rights Asia-Pacific Assembly (DRAPAC), represented by three of our team members.
Our participation extended to prominent events such as the Summit for Democracy, Meta Global Innovation & Policy Flyout, and Splice Beta among others. These engagements were invaluable learning opportunities and a testament to our growing influence. We are proud to see our organization thrive on international platforms and look forward to fostering further global connections.
Looking Forward
We step into 2025, with renewed determination. Our focus will be to foster the connections we have built along the way and expand the positive impact we’ve made in the digital rights community, and we can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together!
To our team: Thank you for showing up every day with passion and dedication. To our partners and community: Thank you for believing in us. Your trust and encouragement mean more than words can express.
Here’s to another year of learning, growing, and supporting each other!
by Digitally Right | Dec 23, 2024 | Our work, Updates
Eight young professionals from the fields of law, academia, media, and civil society in Bangladesh have joined Digitally Right’s 2024 Tech Policy Fellowship, embarking on an opportunity to explore the impact of evolving technologies and how the policies that govern these technologies influence their use.
This Fellowship provides the diverse set of fellows a unique opportunity to gain comprehensive insights into global and local trends in technology policies, along with their implications for everyday life, with a focus on challenges such as privacy and personal data protection, online content governance, technology facilitated gender-based violence and equitable internet access. The aim is to develop the next generation of advocates to shape the legal and policy domain in Bangladesh for a more open and free internet space.
The fellowship includes residential training, deep-dive sessions, opportunities to publish research papers on policy issues under expert mentoring, the chance to showcase work to an esteemed audience, and participation in a regional network of tech policy enthusiasts.
Each fellow will pursue research under this fellowship program in the next couple of months and will have the opportunity to share their work with the digital rights community in the region and globally.
Access Now, an international non-profit promoting digital rights worldwide, is a knowledge partner in this fellowship program.
Meet the Fellows
Afrida Samiha Nabilah is a researcher specializing in human rights, gender justice, and social inclusion. As a Research Assistant at BLAST, Afrida has worked on Bangladesh’s Disability Rights and Protection Act and advocated for the rights of religious minorities and gender-diverse groups. She was awarded the Community Equity Fellowship by BLAST, where she conducted in-depth research on the employment rights of plainland indigenous women. Afrida is an active member of the Cyber Support for Women and Children (CSWC), addressing digital rights issues and providing legal aid to victims of violence. Her research interests include the rights of marginalized communities, technology-facilitated gender-based violence, migration, and refugee issues.
Md. Ziaur Rahman Chowdhury is a staff correspondent at The Business Standard with extensive experience reporting on human rights violations, law enforcement affairs, politics, corruption, and crimes. He previously worked for Prothom Alo, Jamuna Television, and The Daily Manabzamin. He received the BRAC-Royal Danish Embassy Migration Media Award in 2020 and recently participated in a three-month ‘Investigative Journalism Fellowship’ organized by the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN). Over the years, he has also worked with international media outlets, including Agence France-Presse (AFP), France24, the Financial Times, and Delayed Gratification magazine.
Mehedi Hasan Marof is an investigative journalist with Netra News, based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He also reports independently for international outlets like Al Jazeera, NBC News, and Dialogue Earth. His coverage of Bangladesh’s “July Uprising” earned him acclaim from academics, fellow journalists, and the public alike. Alongside his reporting, he occasionally lectures at journalism schools. His primary areas of focus include criminal justice, security force misconduct, political corruption, climate change, and OSINT.
Nabangsu Chakma is a law graduate from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is currently an independent researcher focusing on the human rights of the Indigenous peoples. His interests lie at the intersection of law, human rights and technology.
Nazifa Muniyat Quader, Lecturer of Canadian University of Bangladesh and a Legal Advisor to a climate-tech startup, is an accomplished Academic and legal professional with experiences in legal practice and development sector. She previously worked at the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as a team member on the GLO.ACT project. Additionally, she serves as an adjudicator in National and International Moot Court Competitions. Her research interests lie in – international diplomacy, intellectual property, humanitarian law, refugee law, and personal laws.
Saraban Tahura Zaman, a human rights lawyer, consultant, and feminist activist from Bangladesh, works as a Consultant for Global Advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights. A diploma holder in Leadership from the Swedish Institute in 2018, she led the SheDecides movement in Bangladesh and curated a global exhibition commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration. She was also a core member of the Drafting Committee for the Transgender Protection Bill. As a policy analyst, she has contributed to the review of key laws and policies, including the Child Marriage Restraint Act, Anti- Discrimination Law, and ICT Act. Additionally, Ms. Zaman is the founder of Justicia Feminist Network, the first legal network of feminist lawyers in Bangladesh, dedicated to advancing a more gender-just society.
Sazia Sharmin is a development professional and social science researcher focused on bridging the digital divide and ensuring equitable access to information. Getting the right information to those who need it most has been central to her work with local and global development organizations, as well as her role as a fact-checker and deputy editor at FactWatch. Through this fellowship, she aims to advocate for technology policies that prioritize the voices and needs of systemically excluded communities.
Tabassum Nuha, Lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP), is affiliated with the Society for Environment and Human Development (SEHD) and the Bratyajan Research Center (BRC). She previously served as a researcher at the Liberation War Museum. Her academic research interests include digital media communication, information disorder, and cultural studies.
by Digitally Right | Dec 2, 2024 | Our work, Research
As the swift technological changes are driving a global transformation in journalism, fundamentally altering the process of news gathering and dissemination, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a defining factor in reshaping the field. Many newsrooms globally are leveraging the power of Al for efficient content creation and expanding audience engagement. From automating routine tasks to providing insights through data analysis, use of Al is increasing due to its efficiency and quick responses. The global media industry is currently experiencing a transition as artificial intelligence tools are reshaping traditional newsroom practices and storytelling methods.
However, the adoption of Al in journalism brings unique challenges too, including concerns about misinformation, biases in Al tools and fears around job security. The ethical use of AI remains a concern as well. Despite these challenges, if implemented ethically and strategically. Al has the potential to act as a powerful ally in overcoming systemic issues to reshape journalism into a more resilient and responsive domain.
The Media Resources Development Initiative (MRDI), in collaboration with Digitally Right Limited (DRL) and support from The Asia Foundation (TAF), conducted a comprehensive study on the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Bangladeshi newsrooms.
The study explores the knowledge, use, adoption and future demands of Al in Bangladeshi newsrooms and assesses the policies and practices necessary for its ethical and responsible integration. With a view to identifying the needs and gaps that must be addressed for greater Al adoption in the sector, the report offers actionable recommendations for fostering responsible Al integration with emphasis on Al literacy, ethical practices and sustainable implementation for quality journalism in Bangladesh.
The study reveals a striking disconnect between potential and practice in terms of Al adoption in Bangladesh newsrooms. While journalists use Al tools for basic tasks like writing, editing and translation, they are reluctant towards deeper integration. At an individual level, this reluctance stems not just from technological skepticism, but from lack of access and knowledge, deep-rooted cultural inertia and fears about job security. At the institutional level, resistance to change, lack of strategic vision, and limited organizational support hamper the broader application of Al in newsrooms.
These barriers are intensified by insufficient investment in training, lack of clear policies on Al usage, and worries on maintaining journalistic integrity, all of which prevent the successful integration of Al technologies. Notably, newsrooms prioritize immediate output over systematic implementation, resulting in a shallow engagement with Al’s capabilities.
