Free Expression Online
Studies of Internet filtering, network interference, and other technologies and practices that impact freedom of expression online.
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Latest Research
One App, Two Systems: How WeChat uses one censorship policy in China and another internationally
In this report we provide the first systematic study of keyword and website censorship on WeChat, the most popular chat app in China
Harmonized Histories? A year of fragmented censorship across Chinese live streaming applications
In this report, we reverse engineer three popular live streaming platforms (YY, Sina Show, and 9158) and find keyword lists used to censor chat messages. Tracking changes to the keyword lists over the past year gives an inside look into how these applications implement censorship
Tender Confirmed, Rights At Risk: Verifying Netsweeper in Bahrain
In this report, we confirm the use of the services of Canadian company Netsweeper, Inc. to censor access to the Internet in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
On Research in the Public Interest
The following is a statement from Citizen Lab Director, Ron Deibert, concerning a defamation suit recently filed, and then discontinued by Netsweeper against the University of Toronto and Ron Deibert.
Information Controls during Military Operations: The case of Yemen during the 2015 political and armed conflict
This report provides a detailed, mixed methods analysis of Information controls related to the Yemen armed conflict, with research commencing at the end of 2014 and continuing through October 20, 2015. The research confirms that Internet filtering products sold by the Canadian company Netsweeper have been installed on and are presently in operation in the state-owned and operated ISP YemenNet, the most utilized ISP in the country.