Digital security training has traditionally been limited to invite-only sessions targeting career women such as journalists and human rights defenders. Feminist tech organization Pollicy aims to broaden this scope with their new interactive fiction game, Digital SafeTea, designed to teach digital security to African women from diverse backgrounds.
Digital SafeTea, a blend of 'digital safety' and 'tea', features three characters: Aisha, Goitse, and Dami, representing different archetypes of African women. Players navigate through digital threats like zoom bombing, impersonation, and Non-Consensual Sharing of Intimate Images (NCII), making choices to progress through the game and learning how to handle these threats in real life. The game also directs players to additional resources and toolkits for further learning.
Inspired by 'choose your own adventure' books, Digital SafeTea incorporates storytelling and vibrant graphics set in various African cities, enhancing engagement and accessibility. Available in Kiswahili and Luganda, the game aims to fill the information gap on online safety for women and girls, highlighted by a Pollicy study which found that nearly 30% of respondents lacked knowledge on where to find online safety information.
Since its launch, Digital SafeTea has reached about 10,000 users by October 2022, empowering African women with essential digital security knowledge.