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A new generation of tech tools helping employees’ ‘work-from-home’ during the COVID-19 pandemic

The outbreak of Novel Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) across the globe has forced majority population to be confined to their homes in order to prevent the spread of pandemic. Workforce globally has largely been affected with the pandemic, and the need of the hour is to better ‘stay home and stay safe’.

Previously reluctant organizations, be it governmental, non-governmental, corporate, social entrepreneurship, or educational institutions have no other options left, but to change their work habits and bring new strategies to workflow management by utilizing, and further unpacking the potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs).

Digital tools and applications are being used around the world by individuals and organizations in order to...

B4A commemorates the World Day Against Cyber Censorship

Islamabad, (March 12, 2020): Bytes for All, Pakistan joins the Reporters Sans Frontier (RSF) in commemorating ‘The World Day against Cyber Censorship’ to advocate for accessible and unrestricted internet for all, irrespective of gender, rural-urban, or divides on economic status.

The day draws attention to realize that the internet empowers citizens to express opinions and thoughts and access information and knowledge for their socio-economic well-being.

Bytes for All, an advocate for undivided, open, safe and affordable internet, believes that restricting the internet enables the states to predate and control individual and collective rights of the citizens, including civil and political liberties.

As a technology and human rights organization, Bytes for All believes that unconstitutional...

Islamabad, (Feb 13, 2020): Bytes for All, Pakistan is concerned over the newly introduced draconian “rules” to regulate social media in Pakistan. The Rules are an attack on economic rights and civil liberties including free speech, online associations, peaceful assemblies and right to privacy. The rules are being imposed arbitrarily in the name of regulating online platforms and protecting citizens from online harm. It appears that the intent of the State behind formulating and approving Rules is malicious, and instead providing protection to the citizens from the dangers of technologies, they will be yet another attempt to control cyberspace in Pakistan. These rules will have far reaching implications on small, medium and large information technology businesses in the country, who heavily rely on social media marketing, such as online stores, tourism businesses, and rural economy. In...

The baseline study explores the dangers in digital communication surrounding the human rights defenders owing to the nature of their work in all provinces of Pakistan. In addition to narrating the dangers around their work, it also provides a comparative analysis on the capacities in order to mitigate the risks.The findings of the research focus on guiding and promoting the concepts of digital literacy and incorporation of safety protocols for the HRDs across Pakistan.

This report takes an account of hate expressions including labels, titles, and stereotypes used in routine for people belonging to minority religion. The analysis help understand the nature of faith-based dangerous messages in Pakistan’s Twittersphere and their impacts. Digital data scraper tools were used to monitor and analyze the bulk of messages by developing and training the scraper on keywords relevant to dangerous speech. The report provides a quick glance of the nature of hate speech being spewed, the influencers' role in amplifying message and the analogy between the contemporary events and the ongoing debate on Twitter.

(Kathmandu/Bangkok, 6 August 2019) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and its members are deeply concerned over the developments in India administered Jammu and Kashmir, where, over the last few days, fundamental human rights have been severely curtailed. We also condemn the outright revocation of Article 370 and its allied Bills, which was passed yesterday by executive orders without following a consultative process.

Article 370 provides special status to Jammu and Kashmir, which includes the power of self-governance. This was a foundational constitutional compact and an important provision to provide confidence to the Kashmiris. Similar special status was awarded to other States, such as Nagaland and Manipur under Articles 371A and 371C of...