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Confronting Digital Harms

Helping vulnerable people and communities thrive online by resisting and recovering from scams, misinformation and other digital attacks.

Digital technologies that empower communities also expose them to digital harm—with serious physical, social, economic, and psychological impacts. Across MENA, Southeast Asia, and Eurasia, our field teams have supported more than 30,000 survivors while working with local partners to strengthen community resilience. Our prevention work combines localized awareness campaigns, digital-safety training, and self-help resources for vulnerable groups. We also lead research on the evolution of digital criminality, work with social media platforms as trusted partners to flag harmful content, and build partners’ capacity to detect and counter mis/disinformation that endangers their communities.

Publications

Shields Up: Ensuring Digital Duty of Care for Myanmar Researchers

October 2025
This study shows how a structured digital safety plan helped protect researchers we supported in Myanmar—and why funders must treat security as a core responsibility, not an optional add-on.
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Hooked by Hope: Social Media as a Scam-Worker Recruitment Tool

October 2025
Research revealing how criminal networks use social media to recruit for Myanmar-based scam operations, exploiting vulnerable people through deception—with recommendations for stronger platform accountability and survivor-informed responses.
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Scam Haven: Responding to Surging Cybercrime in Myanmar

October 2025
Investigating post-coup Myanmar’s expanding $37B cybercrime economy, exposing trafficking, state complicity, and scam compounds—while urging governments and donors to adopt coordinated, trauma-informed responses to protect victims and disrupt criminal networks.
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Digital Swindles: Understanding and Combatting Online Scams in Myanmar

August 2025
Online scams are on the rise in Myanmar. This study maps some of the most common frauds, why people fall for them, and how better awareness, policy, and education can prevent harm.
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Deadly Posts: Harmful Social Media Content in Post-Coup Myanmar

August 2025
Exposing how Myanmar’s military regime weaponizes social media to incite violence—with practical recommendations for platforms, governments, and civil society to curb online hate and protect communities.
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Digital Resistance: Perceptions of Online Spaces and Tools in Political Activism in Myanmar

June 2025
Despite heavy digital repression by Myanmar’s military regime, online platforms remain vital for resistance. This report examines how fear, surveillance, and burnout are silencing activism—and how to revive it.
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Seeing Fakes: Digital Literacy and Misinformation Resistance in Myanmar

June 2025
Digital literacy strengthens people’s ability to spot and resist Myanmar’s growing tide of misinformation, this study finds. Training works—especially when it’s locally relevant and designed for diverse communities.
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Social Overload: Social Media Use and Mental Health in Myanmar

June 2025
This study examines how consuming political, crisis-related, and violent content on social media affects mental health—and finds a clear link to chronic stress, depression, and emotional fatigue.
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Targeted Identities: Online Harassment of LGBTQ Individuals in Myanmar

June 2025
As social media use expands in Myanmar, LGBTQ people face growing online harassment. This study examines the roots of abuse, and how it impacts mental health, relationships, and opportunities.
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Debunking Myths: Counter-Narratives in the Fight Against Gender-Based Violence in Myanmar

March 2025
How are women in Myanmar using digital platforms to challenge gender-based violence? This study explores the power of online discourse to reshape norms and push for gender justice.
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