Table of Contents

1. Latest Publications
2. News and Announcements
3. Upcoming Events

1. Latest Publications

• Safer Without: Korean Child Monitoring and Filtering Apps

  Working with partners Cure53 and OpenNet Korea, Citizen Lab recently published a report investigating problematic child monitoring and filtering apps in South Korea. The report, Safer Without, revealed that some popular apps have significant security vulnerabilities that put minors at risk of having sensitive information stolen, transmissions intercepted by third parties, and even fake content inserted into messages. In April 2015, the South Korean government became the first in the world to require all children under the age of 19 have apps on their phones to block content deemed “harmful” and ensure parents receive notifications whenever the blocking mechanism becomes inoperative. This report builds on previous security audits Citizen Lab and Cure53 have done on similar filtering apps.

• Net Alert: Korean parental apps

  In tandem with the report on Korean parental apps, Citizen Lab also released a new Net Alert to further shed light on the troubling use of parental apps. Using striking visuals and accessible language, the post showcases what actions parents, developers, and legislators can take to diminish the impact of these insecure apps.

2. News and Announcements

• Noura Al-Jizawi profiled for work in Syrian uprising

  Noura Al-Jizawi, who is currently studying at the Munk School of Global Affairs through the Scholars-at-Risk program, became involved with Citizen Lab after she was the target of a cyber-espionage campaign in Syria. Having created an NGO to help victims of torture in Syria, and having herself endured imprisonment and torture, Ron Deibert says of her: “Noura is a fierce defender of human rights. She is highly intelligent, thoughtful and articulate. Sometimes you meet someone young like her and say to yourself, ‘This is someone who will go on to do amazing things.’”

• Joint Letter on Bill C-59, National Security, and Human Rights

  Citizen Lab researchers – along with other concerned parties including Amnesty International, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association – penned a letter to the federal government asking them to consider changes to Bill C-59. The bill, An Act Respecting National Security Matters, outlines proposed changes to security and communication legislation, but falls short in some key areas, including some troubling passages that don’t address mass surveillance and state-sponsored hacking.

• Bram Abramson joins as latest Ford-Mozilla Fellow

  Citizen Lab is pleased to welcome Bram Abramson as the latest Ford-Mozilla Open Web Fellow. He will be bringing his skills as a lawyer to Citizen Lab to assist on issues related to telecom privacy and transparency.

• Ron Deibert writes and co-edits issue of Business and Society

  In an article for Business and Society, Citizen Lab Director Ron Deibert investigates the so-called “Internet-industrial complex”: the relations between business, governance, and the Internet. The theme of the issue, for which Deibert was a co-editor, explores the landscapes of governance of digital technology, big data, and the Internet.

• Safer Without research receives wide coverage

  Citizen Lab research on South Korean parental filtering apps, which highlighted serious security issues, received wide coverage by outlets such as the Associated Press, the National Post, and Huffington Post Korea.

• Black Code at Hong Kong Film Festival

  Black Code, the documentary based on Ron Deibert’s book of the same name, continues to make the international rounds, most recently at the 7th Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in Hong Kong. Watch the Black Code trailer below:

• Lotus Ruan on social media crackdowns in China

  Lotus Ruan, a Citizen Lab researcher whose work focuses on censorship in China, speaks to increasing restrictions online in the lead up to the Communist Party Congress. Read more about Citizen Lab research on Chinese social media censorship.

• Irene Poetranto at 6 Degrees Conference

  Irene Poetranto, Citizen Lab Senior Researcher, recently spoke at the 6 Degrees Conference in Toronto. Organized by John Ralston Saul and Adrienne Clarkson of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, the conference “explores citizenship and inclusion in a world that demands answers now”. Poetranto spoke on a panel that explored the various power structures that shape the Internet and the ways in which citizens and activists are using digital tools to circumvent repression and censorship.

• Bill Marczak at Crisis Code: Humanitarian Protection in the Digital Age

  Citizen Lab Senior Research Fellow Bill Marczak recently participated in Crisis Code, a conference focused on the cross-section of humanitarian relief and technological advances. Organized by swissnex San Francisco and the Consulate General of Switzerland in San Francisco, Marczak spoke on a panel about the digital vulnerabilities facing communities in crisis.

3. Upcoming Events  

• Lex Gill to speak at University of Waterloo

  October 27, Waterloo, Ontario - Participating in the CrySP Speaker Series on Privacy, Research Fellow Lex Gill will speak about encryption law in Canada and the implications for human rights and global security.