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Madelyn Johnson is a junior at Florida State University studying Middle Eastern Studies and International Affairs. She primarily studies issues relating to migration and refugees, and has previously interned at the International Rescue Committee and Al Hadaf, a human rights organization in Amman, Jordan. Madelyn spent the spring semester as a Boren Scholar studying Arabic at the University of Jordan and researching the methods used by Jordanian organizations to assist refugees.
Biometrics, refugees, and the Middle East: Better data collection for a more just future
The increasing adoption of biometric technology by governments, aid organizations, and other stakeholders in the Middle East has critical implications for regional developments in business, governance, and society. And while some observers and stakeholders have noted the potential for such tools to streamline security infrastructure and provide opportunities for sectors as diverse as mobile payment and financial security, a growing chorus of voices has raised concern about the potential of biometric data to similarly streamline violations of human rights, particularly those of the region’s most vulnerable populations.
Free speech, civil society, and equity in cyberspace
From the growing impact of social media on popular movements and politics in the Middle East to the changing face of journalism and civil society online, the intersection of digital spaces with politics is one of the most critical emerging areas for examining the future of dissent, human rights, and democracy in the region. This issue was a central focus during the second panel of the MEI Cyber Program’s inaugural June conference, with experts highlighting several critical areas for consideration and examination in the years to come.
