The ‘FEMALE’ organization has been documenting the number of cybercrimes committed against women and girls in Lebanon.
The recorded cases reached 1,123 in 2018, 1,270 in 2019, and 315 in the first quarter of 2020; marking a 184% increase over time.
These numbers continue to rise, as the percentage of complaints related to cybercrimes through the Internal Security Forces (ISF)
online service called ‘Balegh’ (meaning report) show that in 2022, women submitted 70% of complaints and 67% in 202323.
Despite the lack of comprehensive, gendered lens local studies and reports on cybercrime, we can infer that the reason for the high
percentage of complaints filed by women in Lebanon is due to their increased awareness of their rights, the growing number of
internet users, the availability of cybercrime reporting services by local organizations and awareness campaigns, in addition to their
increased exposure to online violence.
2. Justifications:
Despite the importance of privacy protection in the digital age, current Lebanese legislation lacks a clear definition or comprehensive
protection mechanisms for this concept through any contemporary definition, leaving the matter to judicial interpretation.
Article 14 of the Lebanese Constitution (May 23, 1926) stipulates that “The place of residence is inviolable. No one may enter it except
in the circumstances and manners prescribed by law.”. As for the term "freedom," it is mentioned in Articles 8 and 13, where Article 8
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indicates that "personal liberty is guaranteed and under the protection of the law ," while Article 13 includes freedom of expression,
opinion, and assembly. The preamble of the Lebanese Constitution also pledges Lebanon's affiliation with the United Nations (UN)
and its adherence to its charters, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights25(issued in 1948), and the International Covenant on Civil
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and Political Rights (ICCPR) . The Universal Declaration of Human Rights enshrines this right to privacy in Article 12, which prohibits
arbitrary interference in individuals' private lives and guarantees legal protection against such interference.
At the level of the European Union (EU), and with regard to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for example, the regulation
includes a comprehensive law for the protection of personal data (issued in 2016 and entered into force on May 25, 2018), provides
individuals with greater control over their personal data and the ability to correct or delete it. It also provides the right to data portability
and objection to its processing, and unifies data protection laws across all member states of the Union. The law also obliges organizations
o be transparent and obtain consent for any use of information, with the appointment of a data protection officer, the reporting of
breaches, and the application of significant financial penalties in the event of their occurrence. Returning to Lebanon, it is worth
mentioning that when the Lebanese Constitution was drafted in 1926, it was not anticipated that the concept of freedom and personal
life would extend beyond the rights known at that time to include what has become commonplace today in the age of information
technology and digital development. Four key elements of privacy can be summarized as follows:
Physical privacy: Protecting individuals from physical abuse;
Communications privacy: The right of individuals to maintain the confidentiality of their
communications, including emails and phone calls;
Spatial privacy: Protection of the sanctity of the home and the regulations governing
searches in private and public places;
Information privacy: Regulating the management of personal data on electronic devices
and the Internet, allowing individuals to control their personal information such as health,
financial, and social data, and determine how others access this information,
27 whether it is
stored on email or social media platforms. This is a sensitive issue, given the potential for
users to share their information without considering aspects of privacy and control.
23
https://tinyurl.com/ecys3w74
24 http://77.42.251.205/LawArticles.aspx?LawTreeSectionID=263836&lawId=244058&language=ar
25 https://tinyurl.com/Universal-Declaration
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https://www.ohchr.org/ar/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-covenant-civil-and-political-rights
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