This piece was written as part of Advox's partnership with the Small Media Foundation to bring you the UPROAR initiative, a collection of essays highlighting challenges in digital rights in countries undergoing the UN's Universal Periodic Review process. Tunisia used to pride itself on its high level of literacy, especially among women. But, since the 2011 revolution, the country has been in free fall. School dropouts have increased, with thousands leaving each year without being able to read, write and use online information meaningfully. Things are not getting better in Tunisia with a new grim indicator on education. The Tunisian Minister of Social Affairs Malek Zahi said that “there are today over 2 million illiterates representing a huge challenge to our development.” It amounts to almost 20 percent of the Tunisian population. To compare, this rate is barely 1 percent in most Western countries. Illiteracy is higher in the rural and inland regions of the center and the northwest, reflecting the countrywide economic disparity. More alarming, illiteracy is today found among the young — 70 percent of illiterate people are among those who left school early, aged between 12 to 18. At an age when they should be digital natives, many young Tunisians are starting life without the foundational skills to navigate an increasingly complex and digital world. In this context, it is likely that the social and digital divide between the more and less educated in Tunisia will grow in the coming years if there is not focused intervention on digital skills. The more the gap grows, the more there is a risk of the poorest being excluded and left behind, threatening social cohesion. Hadjer, a public-school teacher who was asked to retire early, told Global Voices about the deplorable situation: The middle-class, which used to be the backbone of the country, has shrunk. Today there is a two-speed Tunisia with a parallel system in education, healthcare, employment … People are living in social silos and insulating themselves. Parents who can afford it are putting their children into private schools. The poorest are wandering the streets, doing precarious badly paid jobs or looking to smuggle themselves abroad. While cost remains a barrier for the poorest and young people, as outlined by recent research on digital inclusion in Tunisia conducted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), a larger problem is the lack of knowledge and understanding of information technology itself. The main reason reported for not using the internet is not knowing how to use it. Even if people have access to technology, they need some basic knowledge to make good use of the internet. Najoua, a public servant working for a program for the integration of young people in the labor market, told Global Voices: “Unfortunately access to the internet hasn’t necessarily translated to empowerment. Many don’t know how to use the internet to find online useful information and services. The internet is still not perceived and understood as a space that can be used for learning and help to get skills, services and even jobs.” It is because, in Tunisia, people’s understanding of the internet is mostly concentrated on social media, and more particularly Facebook, which is the most used social network in Tunisia. It had in January 2020 more than 6.9 million active users representing 75 percent of the population. It is the principal source of information and misinformation. Many have denounced how social media has fueled social tensions. Professor of journalism Sadok El Hammami explained that, in Tunisia, “Facebook is invading our daily lives and needs to be regulated so that it is not a threat to our lives.” This is doubly important given that those who have not had the education, have less developed critical thinking skills and are therefore more vulnerable to propaganda and fake news. When Tunisian president Kais Saied claimed that there was a “criminal plan to change the Tunisian demographic composition by foreign powers” in February 2023, a torrent of fake news on social media spread hatred against Sub-Saharan Africans. People could not make the distinction between truth and lies, and unleashed a backlash of racial abuse. Because they lack the awareness and the tools, navigating the internet safely and protecting data and privacy are also even more of a challenge for women. According to the media platform, Nawaat, 80 percent of women have suffered online violence in Tunisia. This violence is multidimensional (it includes sexual harassment, stalking, and intimidation) and is widespread on social networks, where Tunisians spend most of their time. Anxiety, depression and withdrawal from society are on the rise.