Understanding Internet Freedom: The Tibetan Exile Community

SecondMuse closely engaged the Tibetan Exile Community in Dharamsala, India. This is what we learned.

Transcript

1. 1 UNDERSTANDING INTERNET FREEDOM: THE TIBETAN EXILE COMMUNITY
2. 1 2 Executive Summary 5 Overview 7 Meet the Users 12 Key Insights and Recommendations 20 A Human-Centered Design Process 22 Building an Understanding 22 Working with a Specific Tool: NewsAggregator TABLE OF CONTENTS APPENDIX: A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING
3. 2 Internet freedom technologies are intended to serve an individual or a community by supporting the free exchange of information and ideas. The ability for such technologies to achieve this purpose is often hampered by a lack of understanding about the people they are intended to serve. What are their goals, their motivations, and the barriers that they face? What exactly are the needs that should be served? Answering these questions and more is crucial to developing usable and useful Internet freedom technologies as well as providing training, programming and outreach to complement them. Lack of this information presents a significant challenge to the development of effective technologies and services that complement them. This report helps spread knowledge about Internet freedom technology users by providing a concise understanding about motivations, behaviors, threats, and needs of the Tibetan Exile Community based in Dharamsala, India. In March 2014 a team of three field researchers from SecondMuse spent two weeks in Dharamsala to conduct a deep needfinding process with members of this community. SecondMuse met with a wide range of individuals and organizations representing current and prospective users of Internet freedom technology such as privacy, security, anonymity and circumvention tools. These individuals and organizations represented a broad spectrum of the community ranging from nonprofit organizations to global activists to monks to government officials of the Central Tibetan Administration to communicators who pass information back and forth between the exile community, Tibet, and the rest of the world. The risk that the members of the Tibetan community face is significant and well documented. The 2009 report Tracking GhostNet: Investigating a Cyber Espionage Network1 by the Munk Centre for International Studies in Toronto outlines the extensive compromise of computers operated by Tibetan activists, embassies and media outlets. Several publications in recent years by Citizen Lab and others have detailed the expansive threat of mobile malware, email account hacking, social engineering, and more. Additionally, the risk to individuals inside of Tibet is significant. Important cultural and religious practices such as the worship of His Holiness the Dalai Lama are banned. Sharing photos of the Dalai Lama on the Chinese- based chat service WeChat has led to documented arrests and imprisonment of Tibetans. These risks demonstrate a clear need for effective Internet freedom technologies that are useful to and usable by the Tibetan Exile Community. While in Dharamsala, SecondMuse employed a human-centered design approach to research: an empathy-based approach that puts the motivation and mission of a community at the center of understanding. The research focused on a number of key questions around communication, priorities, motivations and usability such as: “What are the security-related behaviors that individuals employ in their daily communication activities?” and “What are the most relevant pieces of information that would help a developer build a tool more effectively for people in this community?” The team then designed a series of interviews, activities, and collaborative exercises to draw out a deep understanding of the Tibetan Exile Community. Through our process a series of key insights emerged for the greater Internet freedom community of software developers, intermediaries, funders, and trainers. The deep relationships and connections that were built in EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1This report and others can be found at citizenlab.org/publications EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
4. 3 Dharamsala led to seemingly subtle but ultimately significant learning. A prevalence of iOS-based mobile devices was an observation form early on and made sense due to the native Tibetan language support built into such devices. In time, however, the true reason for the prevalence of iPhones became clear - it was not just the language support, which could be replicated in other devices, but the emotional and cultural connection to an internationally revered device that implicitly recognized the significance of Tibetan culture. Spending time in Dharamsala also uncovered a wealth of “home grown” security-related behaviors such as leveraging chat services to mimic two-factor authentication when sending email attachments to colleagues. This report details specific insights such as those mentioned above, recommendations resulting from them, and broader understandings that provide additional context. The report lays out key recommendations and insights for developers, intermediaries such as trainers and funders, and the Internet freedom community at large. It provides comprehensive personas for a series of composite users representing the community. It also dives deep into specific recommendations for a specific tool - referred to here as a “NewsAggregator” for security concerns. Furthermore, it provides broader contextual stories and information that help make deeper sense from this data and even empower the reader to posit their own insights that could potentially extend to other prospective users of Internet freedom technologies.
5. 4 SUMMARY: KEY INSIGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS This is a brief summary of our key insights and recommendations. A full explanation of each can be found on page 12. For Tool Developers Serving the Tibetan Exile Community: 1. Mobile applications should be developed for the iOS platform, in addition to any other platforms. 2. Recognition of Tibetan culture and their struggle in everyday technology is highly valued in this community. 3. Tools must function as expected the first time, and this functioning must be clear to the user, in order for a user to use the tool a second time. 4. Clear signifiers should exist in tools to identify and reinforce security features and secure behavior. 5. When building a tool for this community, partner with a guide or organization who has existing relationships and credibility with target users. 6. Despite security concerns, the deployment of tools needs to be thoughtful and intentional rather than rushed to address an immediate security risk. This includes minimum levels of support, appropriate translations, technical reliability, cultural relevance, and ease of use. 7. Avoid engaging with the community at large or organizations within it in as a “test bed” for your tools or ideas; build real longer-term partnerships. 8. How “easy to use” a tool is includes the ability for its use by low-literacy populations and incorporation of culturally relevant UX considerations. 9. Strive to design tools that complement a user’s existing security behaviors, rather than forcing behavior change as a prerequisite for using the tool. For Trainers, Funders and Intermediary Organizations: 1. Invest in establishing the capacity of trusted community members to train and advocate for secure tools. 2. Share environmental and social factors that contribute to the sustainability of solutions and the creation of new ones. 3. Encourage conversations about privacy and security as it relates to achieving the mission. 4. Organizations with the ability to fund the development of tools intended to serve the Tibetan Exile Community should ensure effectively designed community interaction is a well-resourced part of the tool development process. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
6. 5 Internet Freedom Tools (IFTs) are developed to solve the technical challenges of privacy, security and information access. Focusing on these technical challenges rather than the user of an IFT can mean that the motivations, needs and usability issues faced by user communities take a back seat or get overlooked altogether. Further, IFTs may solve a technical challenge for users, but fall short on user experience and contextual relevance and therefore not be relevant. Currently, there is a disconnect between the technical threats and the user that must be remedied for IFTs and the people who use them to realize their full potential, together. People back home [Tibet] won’t tell how bad things are, but they’ll say things like ‘the weather is not great’ and ‘I go to the hospital a lot’ to communicate the situation back at home. If they communicate directly, they know that someone else is listening. In Tibet when you buy a SIM card you have to give all your identity forms and photos. You cannot communicate with a calm mind, especially about political stuff. - A Tibetan Activist That is just a short excerpt from a conversation with a journalist in Dharamsala about the communication habits of the Tibetan exile community. Having opportunities to connect, share ideas and truly listen allows us to begin to understand how and why someone behaves the way they do, and similarly, how and why someone would or wouldn’t use an Internet Freedom Tool in their daily lives. For two and half weeks, SecondMuse spent time with over fifty diverse members of the Tibetan exile community. We had the opportunity to observe His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, share teachings, witness marches in response to several self-immolations in Tibet, be at the center of a newsroom as a human rights story broke, understand the intricate process that Communicators go through to confirm incidents that occur inside Tibet and spread the news strategically and see how Tibetans would create tools to tackle the very communication challenges they face. We walked away with a deeper understanding that although on the surface it may appear NGO’s, journalists and government organizations in Dharamsala weren’t explicitly involved in privacy and security, in fact they were. Many of them were coming-up with their own solutions, adapting tools at their disposal and helping each other to have a deeper understanding of not only the threats, but also how to best carry-out their individual and collective missions in service of the safety of the entire Tibetan community. From my side, it would be nice for them [developers] to come here and understand what we are trying to do. And help us and we could give them some feedback. It would be really good if designers could come here and spend time with us and share their own views. If they came here, we would have to talk, spend some time, share our difficulties with technology and I’m sure they’ll give us feedback on to do this or not do that. - A Journalist OVERVIEW OVERVIEW
7. 6 Users are in fact contributors and co-creators alongside developers in creating a just and fair world where open communication can be possible without fear of harm. The better that we are able to understand the needs of real people in Dharamsala, the better we will be able to translate what we find into tangible results for the community. Our work provides insights to developers, intermediaries, and funders in need of knowledge on how they can better address relevant problems, create appropriate solutions and help users with IFTs. We have developed an interactive framework to guide the development of IFTs that is grounded in ethnographic methods and human-centered design. This is a community dialogue -- we only learn the more we do and try things out in the field. As a result we tried the framework ourselves to deeply understand IFT needs in the Tibetan Exile community in Dharamsala, India. This report takes you through our process by introducing you to the types of people we spent time with, guidance on how to specifically work with the Tibetan exile community, as well as, key insights and recommendations to complement the software development process.
8. 7 During our time in Dharamsala our research and engagement in the community was organized through a guide who identified as a technologist and activist and who had a strong reputation and network in the Tibetan activist community of Dharamsala. As a result, we were able to meet with over 50 individuals representing many different organizations and roles within the community during a two and a half week period. We had meaningful conversations, were invited into organizations, and even watched firsthand as various interviewees and community groups navigated specific security concerns as they emerged from our research. It was obvious that the trust our guide had built over time and his membership in the Tibetan exile community positively impacted our ability to gain the trust of our interviewees. Below we have compiled a series of personas based on the interviews, group sessions and shadow exercises we conducted during our time in Dharamsala. Personas are intended to be used by organizations and individuals that wish to serve this community, such as developers of Internet freedom tools, to gain a general understanding of their potential users in the Dharamsala-based Tibetan Exile Community. The four personas we have created below are composites of the many users and potential users we met in Dharamsala and the names and personal details of the individuals we spoke with are not associated with any of the composite profiles. MEET THE USERS
9. 8 PEMA - NONPROFIT MANAGER Occupation: Program Manager and Community Outreach Coordinator at Youth For Tibet, an international group whose mission is to regain the independence of Tibet and promote social connections and preservation of Tibetan culture. Background: Pema, her aunt and little brother left Tibet when she was 10 years old. She has been living in Dharamsala ever since. Although she hasn’t been in contact with her family in decades, she has fond memories of growing-up in Tibet and a strong desire to see it become an independent nation. Motivations: Pema and her colleagues as predominantly focused on “keeping the struggle alive” for Tibet to be free. Her duties include designing actions and programs that are inclusive - not just for Tibetans, but anyone else that is committed to the cause, creating and sending communication to members and chapter leaders throughout the network, supporting and advising regional leaders to effectively carry-out actions and coordinating local programming and leadership trainings. Challenges ▪ ▪ To communicate with the vast network of regional and local chapters, including members that have limited access to technology - some you can only communicate with by post. ▪ ▪ To verify that the correct information is being sent to members and not altered by outsiders. ▪ ▪ To design a secure, “hacker-proof” website. ▪ ▪ To develop actions and programs that reflect the needs of the Tibetan community and invite participation at any level. Communications ▪ ▪ Who: Colleagues, regional YFT leads, general members, Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), media, governments of other countries ▪ ▪ What: Information on “actions” such as protests and demonstrations by local groups, learnings from the organization’s actions and campaigns, names and locations of membership, events and learning sessions where the members come together. ▪ ▪ How: Gmail, phones and postal mail, Facebook, hosting and facilitating in person sessions, and applications like Weibo, Viber, KaoKao and Google Drive. Definition of Security ▪ ▪ Even though Pema and her organization have “nothing to hide” and are nonviolent they know they are a target. To Pema, security means correct information is being sent and received by the correct people not altered, having a secure website that won’t go down and is “hacker-proof,” and being able to trust that the communication “tools” that are used will get the job done. Threat Perception ▪ ▪ Chinese government is constantly “bothering” her organization- basically every other day. They often have their website attacked through attachments that are sent via email saying it is coming from a VP at the CTA or the CTA says they received an email from her organization and its a virus. ▪ ▪ One of her colleagues, Tashi, email address is always being used to send spam/viruses. Everyone laughs about it, but it is still a problem. Security Precautions ▪ ▪ After a training from Tibet Action, she and her team have started to use Gmail (before they used Yahoo Mail), Google Docs and have developed a system that if they need to send an attachment to each other they will send a message through Viber to a group chat they have created. That way it is verified and everyone knows it is ok to open the attachment. ▪ ▪ Host security trainings given by Tibet Action or local members of a “geek squad” that are made-up of Tibetans and “foreigners” that have knowledge and experience about computers and security. ▪ ▪ Pema and her team often call to verify if things are received. One time an email was sent about a training for regional leaders in Nepal and India. They received a call to verify the date and the location from one of the chapter leaders. On that call they learned that the email had been changed to a new date and location. If that leader hadn’t contacted them Pema would have never known this had happened. She was able to quickly act and make sure all the other chapter leaders had the correct information. ▪ ▪ After a recent training from Tibet Action, Pema is making sure everyone is creating longer passwords with at least 12 characters and changing them frequently. MEET THE USERS
10. 9 MEET THE USERS CHODEN - MONK Occupation: Monk, Communicator. A Communicator is an individual who is responsible for passing information between the Tibetan Exile Community and those living inside of Tibet. Background: Born in Eastern Tibet, Choden came to Dharamsala in 2001 to meet his Holiness the Dalai Lama. He was motivated by the uprising in 2008 to help get information out of Tibet into the international community. He now spends time as a communicator as he is finishing his degree in Philosophy through the local monastery. Motivations: Choden’s primary motivation is to gather important information from inside of Tibet and share it with the exile community, international journalists, and human rights organizations. He seeks to preserve the Tibetan culture and language by sharing stories, information, and ideas with other Tibetans. Challenges ▪ ▪ To find secure tools that are in Tibetan is a challenge, which is important for those communicating from Tibet. ▪ ▪ To acquire information without putting the source at risk. ▪ ▪ To verify the accuracy of information learned, ideally from 2 or 3 different sources. ▪ ▪ To motivate journalists to report on the information acquired. ▪ ▪ To keep safe those who are associated with him. ▪ ▪ To overcome Chinese network disruptions in Tibet that make communication difficult. Communications ▪ ▪ Who: Individuals living in Tibet, International Journalists, Human Rights Organizations, Members of the Tibetan Exile Community. ▪ ▪ What: Local events occurring in Tibet, such as self-immolations and crackdowns by the Chinese government. ▪ ▪ How: Phone calls, In-person communication, Social media such as WeChat. Occasionally encrypted mail - but not for interactions with those inside of Tibet. He verifies information he receives most often through calls on a mobile phone. He uses applications such as Whatsapp, KaoKao, WeChat, Weibo, Facebook, and Skype. Definition of Security ▪ ▪ For Choden, security is something that changes frequently - such as single-use cell phones and SIM cards. It also is something that is encrypted and does not utilize a server that is physically located in China. Threat Perception ▪ ▪ Very concerned about sending information related to the Dalai Lama to those inside of Tibet. ▪ ▪ The Chinese government may harass the source and the family of the source contacting him with information from Tibet. ▪ ▪ He is concerned about the surveillance risks of WeChat, but uses it because Tibetans inside of Tibet use it. Security Precautions ▪ ▪ Uses two phones, one for communicating with those in Tibet and one for communicating within Dharamsala. The iPhone - used with Tibetans - has a number only shared with a few key individuals, and the number is registered to another person. ▪ ▪ Calls others, instead of having others call him. Does not know why this is necessary, but he does it because it makes him feel safer. ▪ ▪ Utilizes his profile page on WeChat to share teachings and photos, so others can come and view it on their own accord - rather than have it sent to them. ▪ ▪ *complex network / telephone chain (Tsering’s communication map)
11. 10 DEYKI - JOURNALIST Occupation: Journalist working for Tibet Today, a Tibetan focused online publication and radio show focused on news and culture. Background: Growing-up in Dharamsala she saw her parents and others working for justice and has a strong sense of being a part of a community. So once she finished her studies she made a decision to work for the Tibetan community. Motivations: Deyki covers human rights and political affairs of the Tibetan people and is excited about sharing information about what is happening to people in Tibet and globally. This information includes decisions made by the Central Tibetan Administration, human rights rulings, and current affairs inside of Tibet. She has to always be ready - tape recorder and pen and paper in hand - because you never know when a story will happen. Challenges ▪ ▪ To keep sources and associates safe while learning about news stories inside Tibet . ▪ ▪ To verify stories and information around those stories - especially through talking to someone on phone/person. ▪ ▪ To have consistent power and wifi/access to the internet to do research and publish stories. ▪ ▪ To avoid email attacks in the form of spam and attachments. ▪ ▪ To be up to date on how groups supporting Tibetan rights are carrying out campaigns and efforts by checking social media - predominantly facebook and Twitter. Communications ▪ ▪ Who: Human Rights groups, CTA, Multilaterals, other journalists in her organization and outside, Editor. ▪ ▪ What: Actions (protests, demonstrations, etc...) by local groups, decisions made by governments and multilaterals, ▪ ▪ How: Social Media such as Facebook and Twitter. Visiting CTA and talking to members of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile and their staff, visiting in person sources with tape recorder, and talking on the phone. She also uses Gmail and WeChat for communication in general. Definition of Security ▪ ▪ As a journalist she sees security in two main ways. First, that what she publishes is her own and that no one should be able to change it or use it without her permission. Second, not getting spammed, hacked, or bothered while carrying out her job Threat Perception ▪ ▪ Chinese government sending spam, blocking her the website of her news organization, or blocking the frequency of the radio program being broadcasted in Tibet. Security Precautions ▪ ▪ Uses 2 step verification and often gets notified on her phone when someone is trying to use her account. ▪ ▪ Have a part-time IT consultant that checks their computers if something is going wrong and is looking into an app to get their programming out to people. MEET THE USERS
12. 11 Occupation: A local technologist combining volunteer and paid work with various organizations in the local community. Background: Though he was born and raised in Dharamsala, Lhakpa had the opportunity to travel abroad for his college degree where he studied computer science and became adept at programming and network management. After graduating he learned of the technical threats the Tibetan community was increasingly subject to and felt compelled to return to Dharamsala and serve the community with his skills and experience. Motivations: Lhaka’s primary motivation is to see a more resilient Tibetan community when it comes to communication security. He seeks to create stronger and more secure systems and networks for the important organizations and agencies that support the Tibetan cause. Challenges ▪ ▪ To ensure the networks of local nonprofit organizations and government agencies are secure. ▪ ▪ To spread awareness amongst the community about the security and privacy risks associated with using WeChat. ▪ ▪ To transition individuals and organizations into using more secure platforms for everyday communication tasks such as Gmail and Dropbox. ▪ ▪ To build technical capacity with the community by cultivating other experienced technologists with deeper knowledge of security issues and how to mitigate them. ▪ ▪ To advise developers of security tools in effectively designing them for the Tibetan community. Communications ▪ ▪ Who: Nonprofit organizations and government agencies in Dharamsala, international developers, advocacy and research groups. ▪ ▪ What: Information about security threats and compromises, communication and technology usage habits, technology-related needs for local organizations. ▪ ▪ How: Primarily via email with international contacts and primarily in person with local contacts. Sensitive information is often shared via unsecured communication methods when working with groups who do not have strong technical capacities. Definition of Security ▪ ▪ Lhakpa defines security much like western developers in the Internet freedom community do: he sees it as the ability to keep communication safe and secure, protect the identity of individuals. Security is often synonymous with encryption when it comes to online communication. Threat Perception ▪ ▪ As an experienced technologist, Lhakpa possesses a deep understanding of the threats that face his community. The most important threat he currently sees is the widespread use of WeChat as a communication platform. He also sees the threat of email account hacking by foreigners, specifically the Chinese government, as a pressing threat. Security Precautions ▪ ▪ Lhaka is well-versed in security and anonymity tools such as Tor Browser. He also makes consistent use of encrypted email when the other parties he communicates with are able to use it. ▪ ▪ Despite the general preference for iPhones in the community, Lhaka uses an Android-based phone for the additional security properties and applications that are available. ▪ ▪ He focuses on in-person communication where possible to limit the risk of possible surveillance. MEET THE USERS LHAKPA - LOCAL TECHNOLOGIST
13. 12 In March of 2014, a team from SecondMuse deployed a human-centered research design framework in Dharamsala, India to test a framework for developers of Internet freedom technologies to do similar needfinding work. As we tried out the framework, naturally we began to gather interesting insights from the field, which we share below. While our primary focus was to build something to be used by the developer community, our research uncovered insights relevant to intermediary organizations such as funders, advocacy groups, and trainers. We have outlined the key insights we gathered during our time in the field for you in this chapter. Each insight and recommendation was synthesized from the findings during our time on the ground in Dharamsala and has been distilled into a simple statement and supporting paragraph. This brief description often does not convey the depth required to identify each insight or recommendation. We would like to share a brief story about how we established the first one listed below as a contextual reference for how they were developed. Developers building mobile applications for the Tibetan community must build them for iOS in addition to any additional platforms. On the surface this may appear to be a simple statement. It may also stir questions among developers as to why this platform is so necessary from the perspective of developing security tools, particularly when many developers prefer the Android platform for secure mobile application development. What we learned was that, on the surface, the reasons iOS is so important in this context actually have nothing to do with security at all and people are willing to sacrifice, save and even share iOS devices in order to have access to one. We spent a significant portion of our time in Dharamsala with activist organizations, media groups and communicators who shared a Tibetan (or Tibetan-in-exile) experience. While the work of each varied, they shared a desire to reach and keep Tibetans inside of Tibet safe. Many people expressed an understanding that their security was only as strong as those they were communicating with, and recognized that they were driven to be secure in order to keep those around them secure, in many cases even more than themselves. Despite this, the majority of the people used iOS-based mobile devices even though there was often more options available to them on Android devices. Early on during our time in Dharamsala the issue of language emerged in the interviews we conducted, and we made note of the importance of developing tools in the Tibetan language. This seemed straightforward - having access to tools in your language is a basic communication principle, but as we continued speaking to people we realized that the need was much deeper than just the practicality of being able to communicate. The Tibetans that we spoke to shared the importance of preserving their culture and community through communication with loved ones about Tibetan matters. The act of communication itself is a means of cultural preservation and perseverance. We witnessed people using and embracing their iPhones, telling us about their favorite apps, explaining how family and friends across the Tibetan diaspora and in Tibet used their phones, and expressing repeatedly that the iPhone was important to them. At first we thought this was largely KEY INSIGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS KEY INSIGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
14. 13 due to the fact that the iPhone had native Tibetan language support, while Android phones do not. Communication was important, and language is important to communication so on the surface, it is understandable that Tibetans would prefer a device that natively supports rendering the Tibetan language. Our continued research, however, pointed to something even deeper than that. For a community whose culture and language is constantly under threat, it is more than just being able to utilize an a phone that can display their native language - it is that the iPhone represents a larger recognition of the struggle of the Tibetan people. The stature of the device - it has ushered in a modern era of smart phones - along with its support of the Tibetan language means it has becomes a symbol of the Tibetan movement. People will save up months of salary to purchase one, even in Tibet, because of what an iOS device represents. This is important because developers often prefer Android development; it has certain security properties that allow for easier secure app development. But in this context, we argue that these additional security properties will never trump the cultural importance of the iPhone for the Tibetan people, and if developers are going to build tools to serve this community, the importance of also developing them for the iOS platform cannot be ignored. The statements in the rest of this chapter come from the same background of rigor: applying the research approach outlined in the Internet Freedom Needfinding Framework2 to deeply understand the needs of the community. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TOOL DEVELOPERS The following recommendations are intended for developers of Internet Freedom Tools. Keep in mind that “developer” can mean a lot of things: it can be a project manager, a designer, a tester - anyone who is involved in the overall development process. Also, note that the numbers below are for easy understanding and are not meant to indicate a prioritization of these recommendations. Mobile applications should be developed for the iOS platform, in addition to any other platforms. iOS and its native Tibetan language support is significant to the Tibetan community. Many interviewees talked about saving up and prioritizing purchase of an Apple phone despite cost because it has the best support of the Tibetan language. One organization told us they were pooling resources to be able to purchase one iPhone to be shared across the entire team. The native Tibetan language support available in iOS is not found in other platforms such as Android. This is important for it to be accessible to Tibetans who do not speak English, Chinese and any other supported languages. Perhaps, a more important factor worth mentioning is that the iOS devices have become an important symbol for the Tibetan movement. Those supporting the Tibetan movement often feel pushed aside and ignored by the international community. There is a strong emotional and cultural bond that is independent of the underlying security or privacy properties of the device or platform. Recognition of Tibetan culture and their struggle in everyday technology is highly valued in this community. We repeatedly heard from Tibetans that representations of Tibetan culture in an application are very important to them. 2Available at: www.secondmuse.com/internetfreedom KEY INSIGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 1 2
16. 15 The significance of cultural ties cannot be understated when looking at priorities of Tibetan users in exile. Many are doing their best to maintain their culture, which has been threatened over the years, and any representation of that culture in the tools they use everyday is very meaningful. A range of potential representations were suggested from images of the Yak, images of the Tibetan landscape, and sounds or animations of a Tibetan prayer wheel. Tools must function as expected the first time, and this functioning must be clear to the user, in order for a user to use the tool a second time. Tibetans have at their disposal a range of highly functioning and effective communication tools. Given the immense cultural priority for communication (stay connected to family and friends in Tibet they may never see again, activism, and spreading news), users will likely not spend much time trying to work with a new tool that presents difficulties. An interviewee that makes the technology decisions for an organization was given access to a tool for free. He was exploring it with a few trusted contacts from the organization in his spare time rather than deploying it across the whole organization, because he felt that if he didn’t have all the answers as people ran into challenges with the tool, they would just turn off and he would miss the opportunity to make his organization more secure. If a new tool with better privacy and security properties is going to be adopted, it must function as the user expects or have a team to provide troubleshooting in an efficient way. Furthermore, the user’s perception of effective tool functioning will be the deciding factor - if a tool functions effectively but the user perceives something otherwise, that perception will be a strong determining factor in continued use of the tool. Clear signifiers should exist in tools to identify and reinforce security features and secure behavior. Users consistently shared stories about times when something occurred to signify they were behaving securely or were being protected from a specific threat. For example, users would occasionally receive a verification text from Google’s two-step authentication system even though they were not attempting to log into their email. Several interviewees expressed that these emails made them feel good, more secure, like they were doing something right. The signifier reinforced their commitment to and usage of two-step authentication despite the hassle that it sometimes causes. We heard several examples where peace of mind provided by signifiers trumped the potential hassle of two-step should they lose their phone or something of the sort. Another simple signifier of secure behavior that emerged is the act of visually seeing the deletion of text in a Skype chat or emails in an email client. People are likely to use and commit to tools that provide clear signals that they are working to make communication more secure. In addition, Tibetans in exile repeatedly expressed their desire to keep those they work with safe (even more than themselves) so signifiers letting them know the people they contact are safe could be incredibly effective signifiers with the Tibetan community. When building a tool for this community, partner with a guide or organization who has existing relationships and credibility with target users. Being able to find the right people, build trust, and ask culturally relevant questions takes a significant amount of time. By partnering with an organization in the community who already has those relationships and believes in the importance of your tool will increase the likelihood that you gain the understanding you seek, while simultaneously building a community of people interested in, educated about and potentially ready to use your tool when deployed. Additionally, letting people ‘behind the curtain’ into the development process builds trust and an opportunity for users to buy into the tool as something built for them, with their help, intended to make their lives better. KEY INSIGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5 3 4
17. 16 Despite security concerns, the deployment of tools needs to be thoughtful and intentional rather than rushed to address an immediate security risk. A tool that is unready, overly buggy, or not adapted to local conditions is unlikely to be adopted, and further it can have a negative consequences for addressing Internet freedom concerns more broadly. In other words, if a tool is hard to use and breaks, it doesn’t just turn users off of the tool, but contributes to the perception that being secure is too hard, too technical and too difficult more generally. Here are additional suggestions we have when deploying a tool: ▪ ▪ Make sure there is a minimum level of support both for training (ideally locally) and from developers to address early bugs with users. ▪ ▪ Must be translated into the local language. For example, If the Tibetan language is not present, then the first problem that needs to be tackled is teaching a foreign language rather than increasing one’s security. ▪ ▪ Software must be technically reliable given local constraints. For example, in Dharamsala, the speed and reliability of the internet was 3G, frequent power outages, machines falling asleep, etc. ▪ ▪ Look at the cultural relevance of a tool and find signifiers about the technical functionality exist. For example, in Dharamsala we looked at a tool that used a white biohazard icon for the ‘panic’ function. The symbol wasn’t recognized and the white represents peace in Tibetan culture - not threat. ▪ ▪ Ensure that tools are “easy to use.” Tools should be intuitive and accommodate low levels of literacy. We heard over and over again that WeChat is a preferred communication tool despite an understanding of the risks because it was easy for everyone to use including older people and those with limited literacy. Consider the functionality and user experience of Facebook, WeChat, and Google apps as widely used tools and models for what the Tibetan community considers ‘easy-use.’ Avoid engaging with the community at large or organizations within it in as a “test bed” for your tools or ideas; build real longer-term partnerships. Testing your tool is incredibly important, and testing it within a target community is a vital part of the process. But specific testing with a set of users, which is acceptable, is different from deploying tools widely or indiscriminately within a community to be tested. We repeatedly heard the sentiment “this isn’t a testing ground” from members of the Tibetan Exile community in Dharamsala. Additionally, as we laid out above, it may also reinforce the perception that safety is out of reach for many users. Build partnerships with the communities you are building tools by listening deeply and communicating that you are there to help and ultimately make their lives easier and safer. These relationships in the community will help you uncover insights to build better tools that are impossible to get out of an interview alone. How “easy to use” a tool is includes the ability for its use by low-literacy populations and incorporation of culturally relevant UX considerations. Many members of the Tibetan community, particularly inside of Tibet, are not literate. This does not prevent them from using a range of communication technology, such as smartphones and chat applications through voice and photo sharing. In addition, there are cultural nuances that can significantly affect the design of a tool, such as knowing which symbols are understood widely in the community and which colors are suitable for different purposes. For example, Tibetans we met with had a hard time identifying the “panic button” on a particular app because it was both colored white and was a biohazard symbol. The biohazard symbol is not well known in this community, and white is a color that reflects KEY INSIGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 7 6 8
18. 17 peace and positivity. This report cannot capture the many potential culturally relevant UX considerations that can be incorporated, but engaging with Tibetans, or intermediaries that can represent their interests, during your development process will help bring such considerations to light. Strive to design tools that complement a user’s existing security behaviors, rather than forcing behavior change as a prerequisite for using the tool. Many of those interviewed did not perceive themselves to be highly technical, and yet they had fairly sophisticated understanding of security. Most of those we spoke with were adapting their behavior in several ways in order to feel more secure in their communication. Examples include, meeting in person when possible, communicating through multiple parties to verify information, using different communication services to authenticate information shared on another platform, using code language, never sharing personal information such as name, etc. Knowing how a community behaves when trying to communicate should influence the design of your tool. Don’t expect to change behavior but complement or make easier what is already taking place. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TRAINERS, FUNDERS AND INTERMEDIARIES The effectiveness and the ability to work with communities is directly tied to the support organizations that interact with users on an on-going basis. Throughout this project the SecondMuse team spent time with trainers, funders, and intermediary organizations to not only learn how they define, view and teach people about security, privacy, and specific tools, but to also understand how they are working in the Tibetan community. The passion, commitment and creativity of organizations working for the Tibetan cause are a testament to how much they are committing their lives to solving the challenges of community members in this space. Even though some may say they aren’t “technical” or “don’t know technology” they are active in doing what they can to protect sources, to spread accurate information, to build a united and connected community and achieve the goals of their mission. The following are some guidance for them as they continue their important work and enroll developers in doing so as well. As before, the numbers below are not meant to indicate a prioritization of these recommendations. Invest in establishing the capacity of trusted community members to train and advocate for secure tools. Trust is essential in the propagation of secure behavior within this community in a variety of ways. Most secure behavior changes stemmed from trusted friends and colleagues sharing advice. Similarly, security is related to an “end-to-end” understanding and approach where everyone is doing their part. Given the variety of threats and the everchanging landscape it’s about developing secure behaviors and decisions rather than reliance on a specific tool. With trust and understanding their is a higher likelihood of people adopting and continuing to practice secure behaviors, because there is shared accountability. Share environmental and social factors that contribute to the sustainability of solutions and the creation of new ones. While not explicitly your responsibility, you have a unique role to help the people that are designing things to help you and others. Set up conversations and participate in conferences as ways to start connect with the developer community. Encourage developers interested in learning more to actual spend time with you and the communities you serve. The following are some of the things that you are uniquely positioned to help developers understand: ▪ ▪ Environmental conditions such as internet interruption, inconsistent power, and the reliability of local cellular networks. ▪ ▪ Existing methods of hiding and protecting KEY INSIGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 9 2 1
19. 18 communication. For example, how users speak in coded language - talking in a way that others can understand sensitive information such as political, religious or cultural speech. ▪ ▪ The complex social networks with and how they transmit and verify highly sensitive information that are created, especially amongst communicators responsible for ushering information between Tibet and the international community. ▪ ▪ Meaningful signifiers for security and privacy. ▪ ▪ The importance of social media and common apps and services used by the community. ▪ ▪ Nuances in language. For example there can be a barrier to talking about tech and spreading technology and security knowledge because there may not be words that exist for certain important terms, so translations of them are approximated. ▪ ▪ Different security concerns based on who you are communicating with. For example, if it is directly with people in Tibet there is a different set of needs than if you are communicating with others in exile, due to the lesser threat of personal harm for Tibetans in exile. Encourage conversations about privacy and security as it relates to achieving the mission. For some people anything dealing with technology can be seen as a barrier, because they “don’t know technology.” To overcome this obstacle incorporate privacy and security procedures into the “how we do our work” of the organization. There is already great evidence of groups that are doing this in Dharamsala. Engaging with and actively seeking support from groups like Tibet Action3 for example and having frequent staff conversations is a great start. Putting privacy and security awareness in the context of the work of the users makes it something relevant and not just a job someone else has. Model that behavior and continue to encourage others in your organization to share their set-backs and successes. Organizations with the ability to fund the development of tools intended to serve the Tibetan Exile Community should ensure effectively designed community interaction is a well-resourced part of the tool development process. We repeatedly heard Tibetans tell us that they desire developers to engage with them during the process of building a tool. This engagement must be effectively designed, however, so as not to fall into the trap of having individuals “drop in” and make promises that will not be delivered upon - a problem that contributes to fatigue in the community about outsiders coming with the intention to help. The purpose of the the community engagement should be clear to both the developers of a tool and the individuals participating in the engagement. 3Tibet Action Institute: www.tibetaction.net. 4 3
20. 19 The following sections are intended to impart a deeper insight into how the insights and recommendations were determined, as well as for the reader to draw some of their own insights through a deeper understanding of where the Tibetan Exile Community are. It also outlines the human-centered design approach that SecondMuse employed in gathering this information. APPENDIX: A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING
21. 20 SecondMuse embraces the art of human-centered design, and applies an empathy-based research approach that centers around the motivation and mission of a community. We design exercises, interviews, and gatherings to uncover motivation, understand mission, and draw out needs of individuals that can be addressed by those who seek to serve the community. Needfinding is the art of talking to people and discovering their needs—both those they might explicitly state, and those hidden beneath the surface. It is only in truly understanding people that we can gain meaningful insights to inspire and inform a final, impactful design. - Stanford d.school The first step in our process is to establish the research questions we seek to understand. These questions are intended to serve as a guide to help the team focus on what we want to learn and how we want to learn it. ▪ ▪ What is “meaningful” communication this community? ▪ ▪ How do individuals in Dharamsala define privacy and security? ▪ ▪ What are the most common use cases of communication technology in which security and privacy may be a concern? A HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN PROCESS time Intro Yourself Intro Project Build Rapport Evoke Stories Explore Emotions Question Statements Thank & Wrap-up Empathy Curve, Stanford d.school. A HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN PROCESS
22. 21 ▪ ▪ What differences are there in needs and the uses of tools, based on spectrum of mission, profession, technical literacy, and other constraints? ▪ ▪ Do individuals utilize Internet Freedom tools? Why or why not? ▪ ▪ What are the security-related behaviors that individuals employ in their daily communication activities? How are these reflected or not reflected in the technology they choose to use? ▪ ▪ What are the things a user considers when making a security-related decision online and how might these considerations translate into more usable software? ▪ ▪ What are the most relevant pieces of info that would help a developer build a tool more effectively for people in Dharamsala? As human-centered design practitioners we must immerse ourselves in the context of the Tibetan Exile Community in Dharamsala. The central component of our was a two and a half week period of fieldwork where a SecondMuse team of four researchers spent time with dozens of individuals and organizations in the city of Dharamsala, India. This included three team members from SecondMuse and one guide who was based in Dharamsala and part of the Tibetan Exile Community. Our guide managed the logistics of our visit and provided deep content knowledge, context and translation. Prior to this visit we also conducted extensive interviews and background research on the cultural context and security threats of the Tibetan Exile Community as part of our Needfinding process. During our time in Dharamsala we employed a range of tools including group storytelling activities, one on one interviews, shadow activities where we observed daily operating activities of specific organizations, and conducted a series of creative exercises focused on drawing out the perceptions of participants about how they view their own communication and security priorities. We worked with them to create security tools, asking them to design and pitch a tool that addresses their security and communication needs. We also worked with them to evaluate existing security tools. We employed a range of techniques and through observing each of them we are able to synthesize key themes and reveal important needs. Getting an answer from an individual about what their security threat is, or what key features they want in a piece of software is not in and of itself Needfinding. Individuals communicating their perspectives on an issue is important, but we cannot trust those perspectives alone to tell us what a need or motivation is. This understanding is applied throughout the work found in this report to synthesize needs across a wide range of data gathered throughout our time in Dharamsala.
23. 22 The process and research questions discussed in the previous section led to a wealth of learning and knowledge. While we have distilled the most essential take-away points from that learning into earlier sections, such as the Personas and Key Insights and Recommendations, there is additional information that we would like to make available to those who seek an even deeper understanding. If you seek more detailed about information presented here or anywhere else in this report, please contact us at internetfreedom@secondmuse.com. How do individuals in Dharamsala define privacy and security? ▪ ▪ Being notified that people are trying to break in and cannot. ▪ ▪ Verifying that info has come from who you think it has. ▪ ▪ Choice in who sees my information and how it is used. ▪ ▪ Information reaches its intended target. ▪ ▪ Information reaches its destination in the form that it was sent. ▪ ▪ The person they are communicating with is not put at risk or harm. ▪ ▪ The sender’s identity is known and trusted. ▪ ▪ The source of information can be verified. What are the most common use cases of communication technology in which security and privacy may be a concern? ▪ ▪ To raise awareness of the Tibetan situation. ▪ ▪ To communicate with those living inside of Tibet ▪ ▪ On topics of cultural, historical, religious, or political significance and current events. ▪ ▪ On topics of personal significance. ▪ ▪ To receive news from inside Tibet related to the Tibetan movement (such as actions by the Chinese government and acts of protest). ▪ ▪ To coordinate between organizations in support of the Tibetan movement. ▪ ▪ To foster cultural preservation regarding language, history, religion, and identity. ▪ ▪ Sharing information and media of cultural or religious significance, such as teaching and images particularly around faith and culture and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. ▪ ▪ In-person communication with those who have come from Tibet to exile. BUILDING AN UNDERSTANDING
24. 23 What differences are there in needs and the uses of tools, based on spectrum of mission, profession, technical literacy, and other constraints? ▪ ▪ Need for simplicity, ability for tools to be operated by those without high education. ▪ ▪ Need for native Tibetan language support, for those who cannot speak English, Chinese or other languages. ▪ ▪ Illiteracy is a barrier to usage, and tools that are easy enough to be used by someone who is illiterate are important to members of this community. Do individuals utilize Internet Freedom tools? Why or why not? ▪ ▪ Many reasons were cited for not using many commonly known IFTs. ▪ ▪ Tools were not appropriate for environmental conditions, such as Internet interruption. ▪ ▪ Tools were too complicated; people don’t perceive themselves as having technical know-how to use the tools. ▪ ▪ Tools had a barrier to working the first use, and no attempt was made to try again. ▪ ▪ Incompatibility: language, operating system and other technical requirements, literacy. ▪ ▪ Unavailability due to censorship. ▪ ▪ Security tools as defined by the community that are most commonly used are easy to use apps and internet applications such as: Gmail two-factor authentication, Skype, Google Drive, and Dropbox. ▪ ▪ People are adapting what are not traditionally intended use of security tools to address their security needs: i.e. verification of attachments via phone calls and Viber chat groups to confirm information. What are the security-related behaviors that individuals employ in their daily communication activities? How are these reflected or not reflected in the technology they choose to use? ▪ ▪ A preference towards meeting in person whenever possible. ▪ ▪ People are using physical security methods: multiple phones, removing battery, keeping computers with them, storage of information on disconnected devices, using servers outside India and China, using others to provide identifying information when signing up for phone or other services. ▪ ▪ Small behavior changes of anonymity, such as people don’t share their names or don’t want others to know their background info.
25. 24 What are the things a user considers when making a security-related decision online and how might these considerations translate into more usable software? ▪ ▪ “Does work with my technical constraints?” - Developers must understand what people are using, specifically device-wise, before building a tool. ▪ ▪ “Is it even worth it trying to protect myself?” - Users get frustrated attempting to get tools to work, and can feel it is hopeless if they do not do everything right. Developers and trainers can take a risk-mitigation point of view to develop more usable software (as opposed to an absolutist point of view in terms of security). ▪ ▪ “Is it worth taking the time to try this new tool?” - Do not release a tool until it is ready to be used in the context of the users in Dharmsala, and can handle the technical and cultural constraints. Make a grand first impression. ▪ ▪ “Where is this tool made? Is it made in a place like China which may increase the likelihood of surveillance?” - Consider the origin of your tool and the motivations behind it, how to make that clear to a user, and how that will interplay with the target user community. ▪ ▪ “How will using this tool affect not just me, but my family, friends and other members of the community?” - People are assessing risk not just of themselves but also of everyone around them such as their families, friends and other members of the community. Evaluating whether you are designing for a context that takes an adaptation or a risk-mitigation approach to communication. As a developer, you have to understand how a community thinks about and approaches risk. What are the most relevant pieces of information that would help a developer build a tool more effectively for people in Dharamsala? ▪ ▪ Cultural relevance is very important, using appropriate images and colors. ▪ ▪ Limited connectivity is a major challenge, and tools should be easy to use under challenging connectivity conditions. ▪ ▪ Design for real behaviors not just aspirational ones - people are using and will continue to use insecure tools such as WeChat. Make it as easy as possible for them to start adapting their behavior to another technology. ▪ ▪ Spend time immersing yourself in the most popular, everyday tools and apps that are actually being used, whether they are related to your tool or not. This includes tools and platforms like WeChat, Google Apps, and Facebook. Analog “tools” are important to consider too, such as in-person meetings. ▪ ▪ Language is a major barrier to use - both the availability of the Tibetan language and the issue of literacy being a barrier to usage of tools in general.
26. 25 Having opportunities to connect, share ideas and truly listen allows us to begin to understand how and why someone behaves the way they do. Similarly, how and why someone would or wouldn’t use an Internet Freedom Tool in their daily lives. Much of this report deals with that in the general context of Internet Freedom tools - but how would it apply to a specific tool? During our time in Dharamsala we had the opportunity to spend some time addressing just that. At two different group convenings we introduced NewsAggregator to the participants. NewsAggregator is a an Android-based mobile application created by a group of developers to allow easy access to news in a country like Tibet where censorship limits such access. NewsAggregator is also not the real name of the application, it has been changed to protect use cases for the tool. NewsAggregator has some key features, such as the circumvention of censorship through the Tor network and the implementation of an “emergency button” that removes sensitive information from the application in order to protect the user. It also includes a pre-loaded set of news sources that are useful to the Tibetan community. As part of SecondMuse’s research in Dharamsala we connected with groups to understand communication needs through group dynamics. Getting groups of people together from a shared social network to talk about their communication patterns and security behavior is another way to understand needs that lay the foundation of IFTs. During each gathering, which usually lasted between two and four hours, participants are encouraged to tell stories to each other through designed activities. As part of these convenings we shared a beta version of NewsAggregator and get some initial reactions in around three use cases of the application: ▪ ▪ Reading the news. ▪ ▪ Sharing a story or a feed. ▪ ▪ Using the emergency button. The following are specific learnings and observations that emerged from that section of the group convenings. Also included are direct quotes from participants to aid in the understanding of the context in which these learnings were drawn from. It is important to note that this was not a human factors test or traditional tool testing. It is also not representative of designing and executing a full set of fieldwork around a specific tool. WORKING WITH A SPECIFIC TOOL: NEWSAGGREGATOR WORKING WITH A SPECIFIC TOOL: NEWSAGGREGATOR
27. 26 LEARNINGS AND OBSERVATIONS DESIGN, CULTURE AND L ANGUAGE The interface is “user friendly” because it is easy to get to the news content you want on websites, the design is “simple” and you don’t have to go through the step of searching to find a site. ▪ ▪ “It’s really user friendly and easy to go through, when you got to check news on a website, It is simpler than a website.” ▪ ▪ “The design is pretty plain which is nice, the looks, the appearance. It’s very simple point to point. Nothing fancy sorta like advertisement/name of developer. Just two colors, plain, brown and red. Plain: simple to use. Less is more design-wise.” ▪ ▪ “It’s simpler than a website – on a website, you have to go to google/chrome and find the site. For here, you can just click on the name and you are there.” ▪ ▪ “It might be used a lot because there are a lot of [news] feeds that are already there and you don’t have to research to get them. After reading the news, there are so many ways to share, it is easy to share and I like that.” Having the Tibetan language already in the app is a great and important feature. ▪ ▪ “Is the Tibetan font on your phone or part of the app? Part of the app! Oh wow, that’s good (multiple people nodding in agreement).” It will be important to have this app supported on iPhones because IPhones are connected to “Tibetanness.” Many Tibetans have a strong emotional and cultural connection to the device. The Tibetan language support of this app on Android does not supplant that connection. ▪ ▪ “Why can’t this app be available on iPhone? He really liked it. If they are not going to develop for iPhone, he will have to buy for Samsung. Without looking at economic condition in Tibet – people use an iPhone. This app must be developed for an iPhone.” ▪ ▪ “An iPhone is a critical part of the Tibet culture, it is not about spending money you don’t have, it has something to do with your Tibetanness because it is the only Tibetan thing that works with our language so even if we don’t have money, we will save up for an iPhone (even inside Tibet). So if everyone is using this, the development space has to be there.” Many participants recognized NewsAggregator’s use of Tor and point to it as something that helped to build trust in the tool. ▪ ▪ “It [NewsAggregator] had all the information as I was starting – I saw it could connect to Tor network.” WORKING WITH A SPECIFIC TOOL: NEWSAGGREGATOR
28. 27 READING NEWS AND SHARING Having some news resources already set is helpful and makes NewsAggregator “easy to use”, but it was missing the ability to cut, copy and paste text content so you can share portions of the news. ▪ ▪ “Since you already have a list of feeds, it is very easy to read the news and share. It seems like you can share with just someone’s email (would prefer not to have to put my email).” ▪ ▪ “Yes, I would use it. But one thing I would want is to be able to share certain things (copy and paste)” Although it is great that there are many news sites already programmed in, it is difficult to add new news sites unless you can recall the address by memory. ▪ ▪ “In terms of news feed, you need to have the address. You know the news pile.com – you have to type address, but I tried a few times and didn’t get it right so that was hard.” Ability to share through social media and email addresses was appreciated. ▪ ▪ “Nice! It is kind of nice because you can share with social media.” ▪ ▪ “For sharing there was an option – Facebook, Twitter, whatever. Did you try local sharing – secure share we tried, but we needed a Bluetooth. Ours was open, but no one else had one open.” THE EMERGENCY BUTTON The function of the Emergency Button led to confusion around what it was actually doing and preventing others from knowing how you used the app. The emergency button was expected to completely “wipe-out” everything - your password, what you were viewing and essentially leave no trace but it did not behave as expected when the participants used it. ▪ ▪ “ ...when I hit emergency, I think it should all get wiped out. I noticed that when I used the emergency button, it shut down, when I tried to open it, I didn’t have to use the passphrase, I saw a remnant of one thing I had looked at.” ▪ ▪ “When you log in again, all the sources are back again. When I hit emergency, it shut down, but when I tried to open it didn’t ask for passphrase and the last thing I accessed was still there. They all came back after I logged back in.” ▪ ▪ “Concept of an emergency button is that everything should be deleted. My experience is that it deletes favorites or what is shared, but not everything you’ve looked at.” WORKING WITH A SPECIFIC TOOL: NEWSAGGREGATOR
29. 28 ▪ ▪ “After you put the emergency button, can the software delete itself? If someone sees the software and knows there is a ‘emergency’ button. I would expect there to be an option to delete the entire software. There is an option, but I didn’t try it... it worked, but asked me if I was sure (laughed).” ▪ ▪ “ When you got to the emergency, I would expect it to have both the slide down to delete personal data or slide up to delete app – should be in emergency button itself rather than only in the preferences.” The design of the Emergency Button, in particular image and color choice, also created some confusion. Colors and logos should be chosen that resonate with Tibetan culture and are easy to understand. ▪ ▪ “The emergency button is ‘very American.’ None of [the participants] understood it. [Person’s name] didn’t either.” ▪ ▪ “Red would be good. White is pure in Tibetan culture; close to the snow mountains and the Tibetan feeling. The emergency button [usage instructions] in Tibetan were not necessarily correct – [the user] wasn’t swiping [like he was supposed to], he was pushing instead.” ▪ ▪ “[Participants didn’t] understand the swiping function for the emergency button. [They] saw the emergency button, pressed and thought there would be a next step. The description in Tibet says to ‘press’ and ‘delete’ but doesn’t say where to press so he was pressing the words. People were swiping the words not the symbol. You should say: ‘swipe the symbol’ to delete. Move the arrow and the text up by the symbol. Blinking red would be great!” Even though there are still some things that will need to be designed as it relates to what the Emergency Button does, this was seen as something that would be useful for people inside Tibet. Particularly in the circumstance where People inside Tibet are asked to show their phones for inspection. ▪ ▪ “Yes! I especially would recommend [NewsAggregator] for Tibetans in Tibet. It would be good for them. It is safe for them. You can use the emergency button and delete the history.” ▪ ▪ “Of course it is good for Tibetan in Tibet because of the emergency button – lots of times, people are asked to show cell phones. This allows them to search news more safely.”
30. 29 This report was written by SecondMuse. This work was made possible by the Open Technology Fund and Radio Free Asia. Special thanks to Lobsang Gyatso Sither of Tibet Action and for his contributions to this work as our team member and guide. Special thanks also to Lhakpa Kyizom for her support hosting and translating during the research process. Report layout and design by the Phuse. SECONDMUSE / secondmuse.com OPEN TECHNOLOGY FUND / opentechfund.org RADIO FREE ASIA / rfa.org This report was published in September, 2014.