Balancing The Protection of
Rights and Freedom of
Expression
As states strive to protect rights associated with online safety by removing harmful content, this may conflict with freedom of
expression. In Lebanon, policymakers must carefully assess the human rights implications of digital policies, ensuring that digital
transformation is people-centered and rights-oriented rather than restrictive.
Therefore, policymakers in Lebanon must consider the impact of digital policies on human rights to ensure that people are at the
center of digital transformation and that it is rights-oriented. Technology has a positive impact on communication, education, health,
and commerce, as well as global mobility, but it also poses challenges such as privacy issues, over-reliance, and the digital divide.
Therefore, it is necessary to leverage the potential of technology responsibly and work to address its challenges to ensure a better
future for everyone in Lebanon.
Cultural legacies of stereotypical gender roles, discriminatory laws and policies, misogyny, and gender discrimination contribute to
the marginalization of women's voices and suppression of their freedom of expression, especially in the digital space.
This situation is exacerbated in Lebanon, where statistics show that women and girls make up the vast majority of cyber violence
victims 21, affecting their full participation in public life. Therefore, it is urgent to create laws that combat this violence and establish a
gender-based approach to protect all internet users, especially women, in light of the rise and challenges of cybercrime.
These violent activities include data theft, threatening messages, privacy issues and cyberbullying targeting women in politics and
business, discouraging them from public participation22. We argue in this research paper that these violent behaviors and
transgressions not only undermine the credibility of networks, but also reduce the reliance on technology as a key enabler of
women's empowerment in entrepreneurship, remote work, and political participation. This reality leads to a massive exclusion
that constitutes a major imbalance in society. Globally, digital crime patterns have diversified, with more than 30,000 cybercrime
incidents detected worldwide between November 2022 and October 2023.
21 https://www.statista.com/topics/9384/gendered-abuse-online/#topicOverview
22 For more information read the following: https://www.skeyesmedia.org/ar/News/News/08-03-2023/10537
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