15 de December de 2025 Blog By Nadia Ferrari

Online Threats: The Case That Set a Global Precedent to Protect Human Rights Defenders from Digital Attacks

A case that took place in Peru led Meta’s Oversight Board to recognize the seriousness of coded online threats and to establish new rules to address digital violence against human rights defenders worldwide.

In May of this year, Meta’s Oversight Board overturned a Facebook decision that had allowed a post containing a threat against a prominent Peruvian human rights defender to remain online. The image—manipulated using artificial intelligence and depicting her face covered in blood—was framed as a “political metaphor,” with no consideration of its context. The post was published by the leader of an extremist group known for carrying out both physical and digital attacks.

The complaint filed by CEJIL highlighted what the post truly represented: a coded threat in an environment where online harassment frequently escalates into physical violence. After reviewing the case based on evidence submitted by expert organizations, the Oversight Board unanimously confirmed that the content constituted a coded threat and ordered its removal.

This precedent not only protects human rights defenders in Peru, but also establishes new global standards requiring technology platforms to act with greater diligence in response to threats against defenders, strengthening their protection worldwide.

The Voice of the Protagonist: Jennie Dador

The threat published online did not occur in isolation. It was part of a sustained campaign of harassment that human rights defenders in Peru continue to face, amplified by groups that use digital harassment—including terruqueo, doxxing, and smear campaigns—as a tool of intimidation.

In this video, Jennie Dador—a human rights defender, survivor of these attacks, and a national leader in human rights protection—shares firsthand how these threats have affected her work and her personal safety.

How the Complaint Was Built: CEJIL’s Role

When Facebook initially decided to keep the post online, CEJIL activated the platform’s internal appeals mechanisms. After failing to obtain an adequate response, the organization brought the case before the Oversight Board. This intervention was critical in ensuring that the case was analyzed in light of Peru’s political context, the growing violence against human rights defenders, and the responsibility of platforms to avoid amplifying risks.

In this segment, Patricia Cruz, an attorney on CEJIL’s legal team, explains how the complaint was structured and how this case demonstrates the potential of strategic human rights litigation before non-traditional mechanisms that were not specifically designed for human rights protection. Drawing on its experience as a leading organization in international human rights litigation, CEJIL outlines the reasons behind this innovative strategy and underscores the importance of civil society making use of all available tools to confront digital violence.

Among the arguments presented, CEJIL referred to the Esperanza Protocol. This tool, developed by CEJIL, provides guidelines grounded in international human rights law and is primarily directed at governments and justice system actors. Its purpose is to promote an appropriate response to threats against human rights defenders, particularly by supporting the investigation, prosecution, and punishment of such threats.

Technical Takeaways and Lessons Learned

The Board’s decision went beyond ordering the removal of the post. It also recommended that Meta update its Community Standards to explicitly prohibit coded threats and to conduct annual assessments of how it manages these risks, with particular attention to content targeting human rights defenders.

In this video, Agneris Sampieri, Latin America Policy Analyst at Access Now, outlines the key lessons from the case and explains how it may influence future decisions involving violence, coded content, and veiled threats in high-risk contexts.

This case demonstrates that independent oversight, combined with civil society action, can change rules and save lives. At a time of increasing criminalization and authoritarianism in the region, protecting safety in the digital environment also means defending democracy.

Practical Guide to Reporting Threats Against Human Rights Defenders on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads

CEJIL developed a practical guide to strengthen responses to threats and abuses in the digital environment. In a context where reporting and activating national and international protection mechanisms is essential, it is equally important to use effectively the tools provided by platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. These spaces are central to public debate and community organizing, but they can also amplify violence and harassment.

Reporting violent or threatening content not only helps stop its circulation; it also allows for the documentation of risk patterns and enables demands that platforms comply with their human rights due diligence obligations. The guide explains, clearly and step by step, how to report this type of content and what avenues to pursue when initial tools are insufficient.