This post is an update to our report on regionally-based keyword censorship in the popular chat application LINE. It covers responses from LINE Corporation to questions around censorship functionality in the application and recent changes to how keyword censorship and traffic encryption operate in the latest versions of LINE.

December 6, 2013

Governments’ use of biometric systems have raised privacy concerns and the need for greater transparency and accountability. This is because these systems collect and store individuals’ physical traits such as fingerprints, facial recognition, iris scans, and other personal characteristics. Biometric identification has been criticized as being error-prone and unreliable, as well as being fundamentally detrimental to privacy, free expression, and the right to anonymity, especially with regards to vulnerable individuals such as dissidents, whistleblowers, and journalists. Members of the Cyber Stewards Network are active in efforts to raise awareness on the use of biometric systems and surveillance technologies.

December 4, 2013

The Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) has released a trailer for its upcoming documentary  DesiSec: Cybersecurity and Civil Society in India. The film will be released in December 2013. The documentary will include a series of interviews and videos on information security that CIS has produced over the past year.

December 2, 2013

Citizen Lab Research Fellow Jason Q. Ng published a piece in The Atlantic on 27 November. Titled, “How Tech Companies Can Help Overcome Chinese Censorship”, the piece looks at companies facilitating censorship in China.

December 2, 2013
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