Areas of Expertise
Research
Training & Workshops
Short Bio
Dima is a Palestinian lawyer and independent researcher focusing on the nexus of technology, law, and human rights. She currently works for DAI - Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment project (DECA), leading research on digital society, rights, and governance in Tunisia. Previously, Dima worked for international NGOs such as Internews, Access Now, and Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, focusing on digital rights and human rights issues arising from the deployment of emerging technologies, such as privacy and data protection, online censorship, telecoms policies, migration surveillance, and holding tech platforms accountable. She also serves as a Board Member for HUMENA and Innovation for Change MENA Hub, and is a Digital Sherlock fellow of the Atlantic Council’s Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab). Most recently, she was selected as a fellow for the Centre for Digital Resilience incubator program to support at-risk individuals and organizations with incident response, security audits, threat analysis, forensic investigation, digital safety training, among others. Dima regularly writes and speaks on tech policy issues and the adverse impact of technology on at-risk communities in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Experience with the Civil Society
Leveraging my legal expertise and over a decade of experience at the forefront of digital rights and technology & human rights, I address local and regional challenges in the MENA region. Throughout my career, I've spearheaded research, fostered collaboration, and led successful advocacy efforts. My focus has been mitigating technology's
negative impact on vulnerable communities, including women HRDs, LGBTQ+ individuals, and displaced populations, in the MENA region and globally. I've authored articles and policy briefs on state surveillance, ISP privacy violations, and online content moderation. My expertise is recognized through presentations at prominent conferences (Bread& Net, Palestine Digital Activism Forum, RightsCon, Internet Governance Forum, Global Digital Development Forum). With Access Now, I led a project (2019-2022) analyzing ISP privacy practices in Palestine, Tunisia, and Jordan, and made a tangible impact. This project resulted in policy recommendations that influenced Jordan's Data Protection Law, revisions by 3 Tunisian ISPs, and my selection as an expert for a report produced by 7amleh on the right to privacy in Palestine. These experiences have allowed me to not only identify trends related to emerging technology deployment in the MENA region, but also directly engage with stakeholders to influence decision-making processes. In my capacity as MENA Regional Researcher & Representative for BHHRC, I conducted in-depth research on the proliferation of AI systems, particularly biometric systems and facial recognition used for migration and border control. In collaboration with regional partners, I documented key cases of abuse illustrating the detrimental impact of surveillance technology on vulnerable communities (migrants, refugees, and internally displaced persons). I mapped out 24 companies deploying AI across Tunisia, Libya, Jordan, Palestine, and beyond. This research, aimed at promoting greater corporate responsibility and human rights due diligence in the surveillance industry garnered significant attention from key regional and international media outlets covering
technology news such as the Computer Weekly, Middle East Eye and Thomson Reuters Foundation.
negative impact on vulnerable communities, including women HRDs, LGBTQ+ individuals, and displaced populations, in the MENA region and globally. I've authored articles and policy briefs on state surveillance, ISP privacy violations, and online content moderation. My expertise is recognized through presentations at prominent conferences (Bread& Net, Palestine Digital Activism Forum, RightsCon, Internet Governance Forum, Global Digital Development Forum). With Access Now, I led a project (2019-2022) analyzing ISP privacy practices in Palestine, Tunisia, and Jordan, and made a tangible impact. This project resulted in policy recommendations that influenced Jordan's Data Protection Law, revisions by 3 Tunisian ISPs, and my selection as an expert for a report produced by 7amleh on the right to privacy in Palestine. These experiences have allowed me to not only identify trends related to emerging technology deployment in the MENA region, but also directly engage with stakeholders to influence decision-making processes. In my capacity as MENA Regional Researcher & Representative for BHHRC, I conducted in-depth research on the proliferation of AI systems, particularly biometric systems and facial recognition used for migration and border control. In collaboration with regional partners, I documented key cases of abuse illustrating the detrimental impact of surveillance technology on vulnerable communities (migrants, refugees, and internally displaced persons). I mapped out 24 companies deploying AI across Tunisia, Libya, Jordan, Palestine, and beyond. This research, aimed at promoting greater corporate responsibility and human rights due diligence in the surveillance industry garnered significant attention from key regional and international media outlets covering
technology news such as the Computer Weekly, Middle East Eye and Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Education
Date
Degree Type
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Degree
Bachelor of Laws (L.L.B)
University
An-Najah National University
Language Proficiency
Language
Arabic
Proficiency
Fluent
Language
English
Proficiency
Fluent
Language
French
Proficiency
Good
Civil society actor(s) you've collaborated with (Please list at least 2)
Contact Email
samaro.dima@gmail.com
Contact Phone Number
+21620868705
Resume/CV
dima_samaro_resume_2024.pdf
(120.22 KB)