Katitza Rodriguez
International Rights Director
I’m writing this in Lima, the city where I grew up. I still remember the street protests during the presidency of Alberto Fujimori, a time when it was difficult to engage in political activism without fear of retaliation. Fujimori is now serving 25 years in prison for corruption and crimes against humanity. I remember it as if it were yesterday. It was then that I came to realize that no matter how democratic a government is, realities change. Power corrupts, and when it does, surveillance equals control.
It was then that I learned, firsthand, the value of privacy.
Over the last five years, EFF’s “Who Has Your Back?” project has successfully persuaded US companies to adopt voluntary user protection standards to safeguard against government access demands. By adapting these voluntary measures to local laws and realities in Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay, I thought, we could help our allies in those countries stand up to protect users’ privacy rights.
By adapting these voluntary measures to local laws and realities in Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay, I thought, we could help our allies in those countries stand up to protect users’ privacy rights.
Working with digital rights and privacy groups across the continent, we devised “Quien Defiende Tus Datos,” a project to compare phone companies and Internet service providers in Latin America to see which stand with their users when responding to government requests for personal information. Each report examined publicly posted information, including privacy policies and codes of practice, from the biggest telecommunications access providers in each country. Each was customized and targeted based on what we knew were the greatest threats and opportunities.
It hasn’t been easy. “Who Has Your Back?” was hard enough in the United States, where companies like Google, Twitter, and Facebook already face constant media scrutiny for their practices. In Latin America, political conditions, media concentration, and a long tradition of big corporations voluntarily assisting law enforcement with their surveillance demands make it even harder.
What has made it a joy is partnering on the ground with activists who—with few resources—have undertaken to speak truth to power on an extremely challenging topic. Groups like InternetLab, Fundación Karisma, Red en Defensa de los Derechos Digitales, Derechos Digitales, and TEDIC jumped at the chance to learn and build upon some of the strategies we’ve developed to put pressure on companies and governments. By working with activists around the world, we amplify our message. We also learn more about the realities of surveillance from those who face it every day.
By working with activists around the world, we amplify our message.
I’ve been traveling throughout Latin America for more than 16 years. I see many here who suffer the most harrowing effects of compromised security, from kidnappings to contract killings. As in the rest of the world, this violence is used to intensify people's fear. The people become willing to compromise their freedom in order to feel safe, to embrace new security measures under the misconception that they will lead to greater safety. We can’t let that impulse to authoritarianism rule the Net.
With work like “Quien Defiende Tus Datos,” with our many sister organizations across the world, and with your support, we work to ensure the digital world is free—in Peru, across the Americas, and anywhere and everywhere we can make a difference.