7amleh Releases a Guide on Digital Hygiene of Digital Devices to Protect Privacy

August 10, 2025, 7amleh - The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media has released a new Arabic-language guide titled "Erase Me from Your Memory: A Short Guide to Digital Hygiene for Computers, Smartphones, and Tablets." The guide aims to raise awareness about the risks of retaining personal data after selling or recycling devices. It explains that traditional methods of file deletion or "factory reset" are not sufficient to ensure privacy protection, as deleted files can still be recovered through various means—exposing individuals to risks such as data leaks, extortion, and identity theft.

The guide highlights the importance of securely and permanently erasing data before disposing of digital devices and provides practical instructions for data deletion across various operating systems, including Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, and Linux. It also introduces readers to specialised tools for permanent file deletion and emphasises the importance of digital responsibility, particularly in contexts where Arabic-language digital literacy remains limited.

This guide is part of 7amleh’s ongoing work for over a decade to strengthen the digital resilience of Palestinian society. 7amleh has led awareness campaigns and provided specialized digital security trainings targeting parents, children, teachers, journalists, digital rights activists, and civil society organizations. It has also developed educational and technical platforms such as the Digital Security Helpdesk for rapid response to digital incidents, and the 7or platform that monitors and documents digital rights violations against Palestinian users.

To access the guide (Arabic), click here.