# Digital safety and pressure from abroad

Source: https://www.qaravan.org/resources/safety/digital-safety/

What to do if you are threatened or pursued from abroad, and how to protect your phone, accounts and messages.

This is general information, not legal advice: QARAVAN has no lawyers. QARAVAN does not help anyone enter the US and cannot arrange visas, invitations, sponsorship or evacuation. For your own case, talk to a licensed immigration attorney or a representative accredited by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Transnational repression, as the FBI defines it, is when a foreign government reaches beyond its borders to intimidate, silence, coerce or harm members of diaspora and exile communities: surveillance, harassment, threats, forced return, pressure on family, hacking, attacks.

Those most often targeted are activists, human rights defenders, dissidents, journalists, political opponents, religious and ethnic minorities, and diaspora members with green cards, US citizenship or born in the US, and their family and friends. The FBI says your freedoms in the US are protected regardless of citizenship.

Phone and account tips come from the Surveillance Self-Defense guide by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF, a digital rights organization); it is available in Russian. The protection you need depends on your risk: start simple.

## Start here

- If you are in danger, call [911](tel:911). If you are threatened or targeted from abroad, report to the FBI at [tips.fbi.gov](https://tips.fbi.gov).
- If you were hacked or suspect surveillance, Access Now's Digital Security Helpline answers 24/7 in 10 languages, Russian included, within two hours.
- Set a long passcode on your phone, turn on two-factor authentication or a passkey for your accounts, and message on Signal.

## Forms of pressure from abroad, as the FBI names them

1. Stalking and harassment The person is watched, followed and harassed.
2. Threats and intimidation Threats, direct or through others, to silence someone.
3. Pressure through relatives back home Family or friends back home are threatened or detained to put pressure on you.
4. Coercion to return Someone is pushed to go back to their country of origin.
5. Pressure through courts, assets and documents Lawsuits, frozen assets, withholding of documents such as passports.
6. Hacking and online campaigns Hacking of accounts and devices, disinformation campaigns against a person.
7. Assault Attacks, attempted kidnapping or murder. If you are in danger right now, call [911](tel:911).

## If you are being pressured

1. If you are in danger now, call 911 Say “Russian” to get an interpreter.
2. Write down and save evidence Write down dates, names, phone numbers and account names, screenshot messages, save page addresses, and don't delete conversations.
3. Report to the FBI Fill in the form at [tips.fbi.gov](https://tips.fbi.gov). The FBI stresses that your freedoms in the US are protected regardless of citizenship.
4. Read the FBI guide The Threat Intimidation Guide is an FBI flyer on what to do if you are threatened, in English and many other languages. Look for the Russian version [on the FBI website](https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/transnational-repression).
5. Ask for help with hacking and surveillance Access Now's Digital Security Helpline helps activists, journalists and human rights defenders: urgent help if an attack is under way, and help assessing risk and improving protection if it is ahead.
6. Tell your lawyer If you have an immigration case, tell your lawyer what happened and show what you saved.

## Phone, accounts and messages: where to start

1. Work out what you are protecting and from whom Ask yourself: what am I protecting, from whom, how likely it is I'll need to, what failure would cost and how much effort I'm willing to put in. Make a security plan (also called a threat model) from the answers. Don't install everything: the simpler the setup, the fewer weak spots.
2. Put a long passcode on your phone EFF suggests a passcode of 8 to 12 random characters that is easy to remember and type: without a strong one a phone is easier to break into. On iPhone, change it in Settings → Face ID (or Touch ID) & Passcode.
3. Decide whether to use a fingerprint or face A fingerprint or face is more convenient, but in EFF's view US law here is still changing, and a memorized passcode usually has stronger protection. It's your choice; ask a lawyer if unsure. At airports and the border, CBP may in rare cases inspect a phone; CBP says travelers must present devices in a condition that allows inspection, and a device locked by a passcode or encryption may be detained, seized or face other action. Ask a lawyer before you travel.
4. Turn on two-factor authentication Two-factor authentication (2FA) asks for a second check besides the password. EFF recommends an authenticator app, a passkey or a security key rather than SMS: SMS codes can be intercepted. Ask your carrier to protect your number with a PIN or passphrase so it can't be moved to someone else's SIM. Save backup codes so you don't lose access.
5. Do not enter a password from a link in a message Phishing is an email, text or message that looks harmless but gets you to click a link, open an attachment or enter a password on a fake site. Look at the address in the browser, don't trust the sender's address, check suspicious messages another way, and keep software updated. If a familiar voice asks for money or something unusual, ask them to confirm who they are another way.
6. Message in Signal Signal encrypts messages and calls between users, but everyone needs the app. You need a phone number to register. In settings, turn on registration lock (write down the PIN), disappearing messages and screen lock, and check linked devices now and then.
7. Remember that Telegram doesn't encrypt everything As Telegram itself explains, ordinary chats and groups are stored on its servers and are not end-to-end encrypted; only one-to-one “secret chats” and calls are. For conversations that could hurt you, use Signal or a secret chat.
8. Check your phone for spyware Stalkerware secretly shows someone else your searches, location, messages, photos and calls. The Coalition Against Stalkerware, a group of domestic violence organizations and security experts, has a help section for survivors.

## Levels of protection

Which levels of protection exist and who needs them

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## Where to get help

- FBI: report transnational repression Any status The FBI takes reports from people targeted from abroad, regardless of citizenship. Report online at [tips.fbi.gov](https://tips.fbi.gov). The website has the Threat Intimidation Guide. [fbi.gov](https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/transnational-repression)
- Access Now, Digital Security Helpline Any status Free 24/7 technical help for activists, journalists, bloggers and human rights defenders worldwide in 10 languages, Russian included; replies within two hours. Free for civil society. They first check whether your case fits their mandate. The contact address is [on the website](https://www.accessnow.org/help/). [accessnow.org](https://www.accessnow.org/help/) 24 hours a day
- EFF Surveillance Self-Defense Any status Free EFF's guide to protecting yourself from surveillance. There is a Russian version: basics, risk assessment, Signal, two-factor authentication, phishing, Lockdown Mode on iPhone. [ssd.eff.org](https://ssd.eff.org/ru/)
- Apple: Lockdown Mode Any status What Lockdown Mode restricts and how to turn it on for iPhone, iPad and Mac. It is meant for very few people who may face highly sophisticated attacks. [support.apple.com](https://support.apple.com/en-us/105120)
- Google: Advanced Protection Program Any status Extra protection for a Google account, for people who may be attacked in a targeted way. Signing in requires a passkey or a physical security key. [landing.google.com](https://landing.google.com/advancedprotection/)
- Coalition Against Stalkerware Any status A coalition of domestic violence organizations and security experts. The website explains stalkerware and has sections for survivors and “Get Help”. [stopstalkerware.org](https://stopstalkerware.org/)

## Glossary: definitions of special terms and abbreviations

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[All pages: Safety and your rights](https://www.qaravan.org/resources/safety/)

**Sources, checked November 2026**

- [fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/transnational-repression](https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/transnational-repression)
- [accessnow.org/help](https://www.accessnow.org/help/)
- [ssd.eff.org/ru](https://ssd.eff.org/ru/)
- [support.apple.com/en-us/105120](https://support.apple.com/en-us/105120)
- [landing.google.com/advancedprotection](https://landing.google.com/advancedprotection/)
- [stopstalkerware.org](https://stopstalkerware.org/)