Citizen Lab Director Ron Deibert sat down with Masala Canada’s Wojtek Gwiazda from Radio Canada International for an extended interview. Professor Deibert spoke about internet freedom and surveillance, particularly in repressive regimes such as Syria.
“Increasingly we’re entrusting more of our personal data onto the Internet. Whether it’s to store documents we want to have access to or share with our friends through social media. It makes our lives easier, but so much of this is held in the data banks of private companies. Governments, particularly in repressive regimes, are also adapting to the new reality, by opening up the Internet to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, rather than closing it down. They do it to better follow the activities of their citizens, such as in the case of Syria.”
Masala Canada is a weekly radio program that deals with everything from art and culture, to economics, politics and everyday life.
Click here to listen to the interview.