This report provides an in-depth legal and policy analysis of technology-facilitated intimate partner surveillance (IPS) under Canadian law. Stalkerware apps are designed to facilitate remote surveillance of an individual’s mobile device use with the surveillance often being covert or advertised as such. Despite increasing recognition of the prevalence of technology-enabled intimate partner abuse and harassment, the legality of the creation, sale, and use of consumer-level spyware apps has not yet been closely considered by Canadian courts, legislators, or regulators.

This report was collaboratively written by researchers from computer science, political science, criminology, law, and journalism studies. As befits their expertise, the report is divided into several parts, with each focusing on specific aspects of the consumer spyware ecosystem, which includes: technical elements associated stalkerware applications, stalkerware companies’ marketing activities and public policies, and these companies’ compliance with Canadian federal commercial privacy legislation.

Canadians can learn new things about your personal data by requesting access to it from companies. What can be found out varies by company and there can be some hurdles to overcome before you get access.

South Korea requires minors to have content filtering apps installed on their phones. A security audit of two child monitoring apps published by major Korean telecoms —KT Olleh Kidsafe and Clean Mobile Plus—finds serious security and privacy issues that put children at risk.

South Korea requires minors to have content filtering apps installed on their phones. A security audit of two child monitoring apps—Cyber Security Zone and Smart Dream—finds serious security and privacy issues that put children at risk.

What does it mean for technology to be increasingly reliant on biometrics? Do facial recognition practices make room for racial discrimination? With both private companies and states implementing biometric technologies, what human rights issues arise? These are some of the questions addressed in Leandro Ucciferri’s new post with Privacy International, “The Identity We Can’t Change”.

Documents stolen from a prominent journalist and critic of the Russian government were manipulated and then released as a “leak” to discredit domestic and foreign critics of the government. We call this technique “tainted leaks.”

Cyber Stewards Network Partner Derechos Digitales has published a report in collaboration with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, titled “Who Has Your Back in Chile? First-Annual Report Seeks to Find Out Which Chilean ISPs Stand With Their Users.”

Former Google Policy Fellow Adrian Fong has published a paper titled “The Role of App Intermediaries in Protecting Data Privacy,” based on research that he had conducted, in part, at the Citizen Lab in summer 2016. The paper was published in the International Journal of Law and Technology.

May 1 – Hanover, New Hampshire