Voices Unveiled
For students
Online safety guide.
The goal of this guide is to provide information about the risks of participating in an online course in Afghanistan and how we can mitigate them using a few simple steps.
Terminology
Device: a smartphone or laptop used to connect to classes. PII: personally identifiable information, such as your full name, address, or phone number.
Risks
Due to the current situation in Afghanistan under the Taliban and recent arrests of women and girls for having communications in their phones with foreigners or English speakers, it is important that every student follow our course policies for your security and the security of your classmates. Since the situation currently makes it illegal for women to study, we prioritize the safety of our students by safeguarding their anonymity.
There are two main scenarios we want to avoid: the Taliban finding out that a specific student is studying online, and the Taliban gaining access to a student's device and the personal information of other students.
Take your anonymity seriously
Even if the Taliban is not currently taking active steps to punish women who study online, it does not mean it is safe. Policies can change at any moment. Every email we send or meeting we attend is a digital footprint, and we do not want it associated with your real identity.
Never share your real name, address, or phone number
Please only use aliases in classes and never share your real name with teachers or students. Be careful not to share any personal information in any group setting, including Google Meet, Zoom, Signal, or with guest instructors.
Use only Signal for messaging
WhatsApp exposes your phone number by design. Signal provides anonymity to its users. Set up an anonymous Signal profile: use a fake name or only your first name, never a real photo if you are in Afghanistan, hide your phone number from your profile with a Signal username, and consider disguising the Signal app icon. Once your anonymous profile is complete, send a direct message to the course instructor, who will verify the steps before adding you to the course group.
Create a separate anonymous Gmail account
Do not use your personal email for any of the study platforms (Google Meet, Google Classroom, or other apps). Create a new account with a fake first and last name, save your username and password securely, complete verification privately, and send a screenshot of the verification page to your instructor on Signal. Use only this account, and your alias, in Google Meet and Google Classroom.
Use a VPN if you have access to one
At the moment the school cannot help with VPN subscriptions, but if you have access to one, please always use it when connecting to classes.