Israel eased export controls on surveillance technologies amid criticism
August 22, 2019 4:53 PM ET
New York, August 22, 2019--Israeli officials confirmed that, under a rule change by the Defense Ministry, Israeli surveillance companies are able to obtain exemptions on marketing license for the sale of some products to certain countries, Reuters reported today....
Kazakhstan's move to control internet prompts censorship, surveillance concerns
July 25, 2019 1:49 PM ET
A state-controlled internet service provider in Kazakhstan is requiring at least some of its subscribers to submit to having their internet traffic intercepted when they use specific websites--including social media sites, email and messaging services, and Google News, according...
Kazakhstan government-backed security certificate raises censorship, surveillance concerns
July 22, 2019 3:35 PM ET
New York, July 22, 2019 -- Telecommunications providers in Kazakhstan's capital, Nur-Sultan, have requested internet users to install a security certificate issued by government authorities onto their personal devices, which could compromise their digital security, according to a report...
Moroccan independent journalists describe climate of pervasive surveillance, harassment
July 1, 2019 12:00 PM ET
In March 2015, Hicham Mansouri emailed an anti-malware company, suspicious of possible signs that someone was able to access his device remotely, without permission. He remembers exchanging a few messages with the software company, but the correspondence was interrupted...
CPJ Safety Advisory: Covering the European Games in Belarus
June 13, 2019 12:45 PM ET
The second European Games is scheduled to take place in Minsk, Belarus, from June 21 to June 30. Local and international journalists covering the Games should be aware of media regulations, the potential for data theft, and the risk...
German draft legislation would enable intelligence agencies to spy on journalists
June 7, 2019 8:30 AM ET
Berlin, June 7, 2019 -- The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on the German Ministry of the Interior to drop draft legislation that would make it easier for intelligence services to surveil journalists and their sources....
CPJ Safety Advisory: Spyware vulnerability found in WhatsApp
May 14, 2019 2:03 PM ET
New York, May 14, 2019--A vulnerability that infects phones with spyware has been identified in the messaging app WhatsApp, according to reports. The attack targets users of Android and iPhone and involves calling users over WhatsApp. Those targeted report...
NSO Group responds to spyware abuse allegations with spin
March 27, 2019 1:41 PM ET
Entering the terms "NSO Group," "journalists," and "spying" into a Google search from a workstation in New York City recently produced a sponsored search result at the top of the page. The NSO Group manufactures some of the world's...
Widow of slain Mexican journalist Javier Valdez targeted by spyware
March 20, 2019 5:42 PM ET
Mexico City, March 20, 2019--Griselda Triana, the widow of slain Mexican journalist Javier Valdez Cárdenas, was targeted by spyware identified as Pegasus in 2017 in an apparent spying attempt, according to a new report released today by Canadian research...