For individuals who use phones as their primary or only Internet-connected device, the growth of the mobile network has been empowering. A new report – “Compromised Connections: Overcoming Privacy Challenges of the Mobile Internet” – recommends safety measures that can be quickly adopted – from device safety to data security – and points to resources that may be useful for people interested in following future developments.

For civil society organizations around the world, universal access to devices and Internet connections offers unprecedented opportunity in development and human rights work. It can serve as the fulcrum of civil society organizing, election monitoring, government accountability, budget transparency, critical humanitarian information access during emergencies, and human rights violation documentation.

However, with the benefits of increased access and information sharing come a set of risks to privacy, safety and security for the user inherent in the phone, the carrier, and the networks used for data transmission.

The intended audience for this report are those in programmatic decision making roles at NGOs or other similar organizations, who are planning to embark on project work involving mobile communications but need a rapid de-brief on the associated risks of mobile devices plus guidance on further resources for support for each.

Compromised Connections was produced by Internews with support from Vodafone Americas Foundation.

Download the report