News

Citizen Lab's latest news and announcements.

Paradigm Initiative Nigeria releases “2016 Digital Rights in Africa” report

Citizen Lab Cyber Stewards Network partner Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) has released the 2016 Digital Rights in Africa report, reviewing government restrictions on Internet freedom this past year. The report analyzes 11 documented shutdowns across the continent, and a number of legislative developments that threaten digital rights.

Christopher Parsons on the police’s mass text message to solve homicide

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) plans to send text messages to individuals who were present in the particular neighbourhood in which a homicide occurred, in an attempt to gain more information in solving the crime. Postdoctoral Fellow Christopher Parsons commented on the use and storage of this data.

Jason Q. Ng on Ali Baba CEO’s big data surveillance endorsement

In a recent speech, Ali Baba co-founder Jack Ma suggested that the Chinese government should use big data to help prevent crime, a view that resonates with the Communist party’s efforts to establish a system parsing citizen information online. Citizen Lab Senior Research Fellow Jason Q. Ng commented on Ma’s remarks in an interview with Bloomberg.

Bill Marczak and Morgan Marquis-Boire featured in Al Jazeera’s ‘Faultlines’

Citizen Lab Senior Research Fellow Bill Marczak and Senior Security Researcher Morgan Marquis-Boire were featured in an episode of Al Jazeera’s ‘Faultlines’ program, in an episode entitled “Crypto Wars: Behind the Encryption Debate.” They discussed attitudes concerning surveillance in the wake of the San Bernadino shooting as well as other terrorist activities.

Black Code screening at the Toronto International Film Festival

On Tuesday September 13th, 9:30 pm, the film adaptation of the book Black Code—directed by renowned filmmaker Nicholas de Pencier—will make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Black Code was published in May 2013, and written by Citizen Lab Director, Ron Deibert.

Masashi Crete-Nishihata on Chinese censorship of Tibetan content

In an interview with the Daily Dot, Citizen Lab Research Manager Masashi Crete-Nishihata commented on the challenges Tibetans face in using social media and other online tools to spread content considered politically sensitive by the Chinese government.