Taxi drivers and other transport workers in Syria are being targeted with covert camera recordings. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reports that such recordings are on the rise, with drivers' conversations, made without their knowledge, being taken out of context and posted on social media.
Some individuals initiate conversations with drivers on sensitive political or social topics and secretly record them. These recordings, published online as short videos, are intended to humiliate drivers and incite hostility against them.
While some of those behind the practice aim to gain popularity on social media, others act as "entrapment agents," coaxing people into talking before using their own words against them. SOHR stated the situation has created serious anxiety among transport workers, with many drivers now avoiding conversation with passengers for fear of being subjected to secret recordings that could damage their reputation.
The Observatory stressed that the practice constitutes a violation of individual privacy. Noting that it fosters a culture of surveillance, denunciation and accusation instead of respect for the rule of law and citizens' rights, SOHR called on the relevant authorities to take a clear stance against the use of secret recordings for defamation and incitement.
SOHR also underlined the need to prevent social media platforms from becoming tools for entrapping citizens, to protect those subjected to defamation campaigns, and to hold those who violate privacy accountable.
