This research note outlines what we know about the use of Hacking Team’s Remote Control System (RCS) by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS). The note synthesizes information found in publicly leaked materials, as well as our own research.

Research Fellow Bill Marczak’s Bahrain Watch announced that its #StopTheShipment campaign has succeeded in blocking tear gas exports to Bahrain.

This post is an introduction to Asia Chats a research project analyzing
information controls and privacy in mobile messaging applications used
in Asia. The project will produce a series of reports that will begin
with a focus on WeChat, LINE, and KakaoTalk. Reports will include
analysis based on our technical investigation of censorship or
surveillance functionality, assessment of privacy issues surrounding
these applications’ use and storage of user data, and comparison of the
terms of service and privacy policies of the applications.

Blue Coat Devices capable of filtering, censorship, and surveillance are being used around the world. 61 of these Blue Coat appliances are on public or government networks in countries with a history of concerns over human rights, surveillance, and censorship. Our findings support the need for national and international scrutiny of Blue Coat implementations in the countries we have identified, and a closer look at the global proliferation of “dual-use” information and communication technologies.

Citizen Lab Research Manager Masashi Crete-Nishihata participated in a plenary panel at the Seoul International Media Conference where he spoke about the work of the Citizen Lab and the four phases of Internet regulation.

The 3rd East-West Center International Media Conference explored the impact of new media on news reporting and events in Asia and the Pacific.