LAHORE: The Digital Rights Foundation is proud to announce the relaunch of its flagship survivor support service, formerly known as the Cyber Harassment Helpline, under its new name, the Digital Security Helpline. The relaunch event took place at DRF’s Lahore office to mark the start of the United Nations’ 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
DRF was honored to welcome Laurens Bistervels, First Secretary Political Affairs at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Islamabad, who virtually attended the relaunch event and reaffirmed the Embassy’s long-standing support for DRF’s mission to build safer and more inclusive online spaces. Established in 2016 with the support of the Kingdom of the Netherlands following DRF’s receipt of the prestigious Dutch Human Rights Tulip Award, the Helpline has been the first and only free, confidential, and holistic support service for survivors of online abuse in Pakistan.
In his statement, he added: “I am very happy to support this initiative made possible by the Dutch Human Rights Tulip Award, awarded to Nighat Dad, who contributed to this important initiative. The Netherlands greatly values this partnership. I would like to congratulate Nighat and the DRF team, and especially the Helpline team, for their committed work.”
What began as a response to escalating cyber harassment has grown into a comprehensive digital safety and support mechanism, reflecting the increasingly complex nature of digital threats faced by the public. Over nine years of continuous operation, the Helpline has addressed 22,700 cases from over 38 countries, assisting survivors facing a wide spectrum of digital abuse including cyberstalking, online harassment, doxxing, hacking, financial fraud, account compromise, and other emerging online harms. Through legal guidance, technical support, and digital safety counseling, the Helpline ensures that those affected by digital violence are not left to navigate these experiences alone.
During the event, Tehara Punchihewa, Associate Manager of Public Policy at Meta, added: “The relaunch of DRF’s Helpline comes at a time when digital threats are evolving faster than ever. But so are the solutions… When civil society, policymakers, journalists, technologists, and platforms sit in the same room – like we are today – there is hope. And not the soft, abstract, buzz word kind of hope. But real hope – built on evidence and infrastructure.”
DRF Founder Nighat Dad also reflected on the evolution of the Helpline and the importance of survivor-centered digital support as technology continues to transform daily life across Pakistan and the world. In her address, she said: “When we began this journey 13 years ago, TFGBV was not even recognised, but we knew the kind of violence women and gender minorities were experiencing online. The digital battlefield has become more complex, and so we evolved too. The Helpline is no longer just a service for online harassment or violence: it has grown into a full spectrum digital safety mechanism responding to emerging threats that were unimaginable a decade ago.”
With this relaunch, the Digital Security Helpline expands its capacity even further, strengthening collaboration with major social media platforms through Trusted Partner channels that enable DRF to escalate cases, request urgent moderation action, and help have abusive or illegal content removed swiftly, offering survivors real relief when it is needed most. This marks a significant milestone not only for DRF, but for survivors of digital violence in Pakistan, the region, and beyond.
As we begin the 2025 16 Days of Activism campaign, DRF renews its commitment to ensuring that everyone, especially women, journalists, civil society actors, human rights defenders, and marginalized communities, can exercise their digital rights without fear of violence, harassment, or intimidation.
