The Digital Health and Rights Project and the University of Warwick conducted a study in which they interviewed 302 young adults in Colombia, Ghana, Vietnam, and Kenya. The participants were aged 18–30 and included gay men, men who have sex with men, transgender individuals, cisgender women, people living with HIV, and sex workers.

Key findings:

• High smartphone and internet costs limited access.

• Young women were disproportionately affected, as access to devices was often controlled by other family members, owing to their financial dependence.

• Around 75% reported that technology increased their risk of verbal/physical abuse, stalking, and blackmail. Poor data protection also contributed to their reluctance to seek health information online.

• Many participants expressed hesitation to report such abuse to the police due to fear of stigma and the possibile mistreatment.

• Overall, they expressed a strong interest in training on their rights, artificial intelligence, and digital empowerment.