Dear community, We hope this email finds you well. Apologies for writing in English.
We want to inform you about some proactive changes we have made to this community mailing list to enhance privacy and safety for all members. Specifically, on request of some community members, we are temporarily restricting public archiving of the mailing list for a time. For those mailing lists where the member list was public, we are also temporarily restricting those public lists so that only moderators have access to member email information. The mailing list is used for a variety of movement-related communications, which often contain information about individuals that is otherwise inaccessible to the public. We understand that this may cause some inconvenience, and we are truly sorry for any disruption. However, we believe this step will help reduce the risk of misuse of personal information. Despite this step, we do need to remind you that this list is available to all members and that information you share on this list is still accessible to them. While we believe this privacy setting will enhance your safety, we nevertheless encourage you to be mindful of what you disclose. The mailing list is afterall a public forum, but unlike a Facebook post, for example, an email cannot be taken down or deleted as easily. As you likely have seen in the news cycle, the current environment relating to Wikimedia projects in India may increase the likelihood of online harassment, doxxing, and other forms of digital abuse. As an organization and movement that thrives on transparency and openness, it can be challenging to prioritize personal privacy and take appropriate security steps. However, in the face of escalating risks, maintaining privacy is crucial for safeguarding yourself and those close to you. Please see some recommendations and resources to improve your digital safety: - Limit Public Exposure: Consider minimizing your personal presence on social media and other public platforms. Use pseudonyms when necessary and avoid sharing identifying details such as your location, workplace, or information on loved ones. - Review Your Digital Footprint: Conduct a thorough audit of your online presence including your userpages. Remove or secure any personal data that may have been publicly shared, and be mindful of what you post - consider the Internet a permanent space. See here <https://cryptpad.fr/pad/#/2/pad/view/JgHDNXxW5YXAsqi38WjvDRPJegHWC5yGEgS+9a0OLoc/>for a guided worksheet. - Be Cautious of Suspicious Communications: Stay alert to phishing and other suspicious communication attempts. Bad actors may try to impersonate trusted contacts or organizations to extract personal information. Avoid clicking on suspicious links, and consider verifying the sender’s identity before engaging. - Tighten Privacy Settings: Ensure your social media accounts and other online profiles have strict privacy settings. Limit who can view your posts, contact you, or see your personal information. Regularly review and update these settings. - Review and be cautious of your online activity: If you frequently post stories or updates on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, pay attention to who is viewing or engaging with them. Do you recognize all of the people? Are there unfamiliar accounts regularly watching your content? Be cautious if you see accounts with little personal information, strange usernames, or no mutual connections. These could be fake or anonymous profiles used by bad actors to monitor your activity. For further resources, please see the Meta: Digital Safety Resources Page <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation/Legal/Community_Resilience_and_Sustainability/Human_Rights/Digital_Security_Resources> and the links below: - Learn.Wiki Module Assess your digital security risks <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Foundation+WMF_HUM001+2022/about> - Meta: Digital Safety Considerations for Wikimedians <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Digital_Safety_Considerations_for_Wikimedians> (the Wikimania cards were built from this) - Diff: The Internet Outages Guide <https://diff.wikimedia.org/2023/10/25/the-internet-outages-guide/> - Diff: How can a username keep you safe <https://diff.wikimedia.org/2022/12/01/how-can-a-username-keep-you-safe/> ? - Diff: Doxing: Why should you care <https://diff.wikimedia.org/2023/04/27/doxing-why-should-you-care/>? - Diff: Doxing: Have you tried doxing yourself <https://diff.wikimedia.org/2023/05/01/doxing-have-you-tried-doxing-yourself/> ? For chat admins, please consider the following: If you administrate or monitor chats on other platforms or other lists, you play an important role in safeguarding the privacy and safety of members. Please consider the following actions you can take to enhance the group's security and protect its members: - Activate anonymous admin mode - Hide members list of the group - Limiting message forwarding - Setting messages to auto-delete after a certain time Here is some information around this for WhatsApp <https://faq.whatsapp.com/1003616827680090>, Telegram <https://lifehacker.com/8-telegram-privacy-settings-you-should-enable-immediate-1848931353>, and Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/help/412300192139228> For any questions or further support around this, please reach out to [email protected]. Additionally, please see the Digital First Aid Kit <https://digitalfirstaid.org/> which provides some preliminary self-diagnostic support for people facing the most common types of digital threats. With best wishes, Trust & Safety Team Wikimedia Foundation
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