[bestbits] Fwd: Joint submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression

[Carolina Rossini]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Ronald Deibert" <r.deibert at utoronto.ca>
Date: Feb 10, 2015 7:39 PM
Subject: Joint submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of
expression
To: <MIOR-L at listserv.utoronto.ca>
Cc:


*Joint submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression*
February 10, 2015

In response to the call for submissions of the United Nations Special
Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression regarding the use of
encryption and anonymity in digital communications, the Citizen Lab
and independent researcher Collin Anderson have submitted a joint analysis,
entitled “The need for democratization of digital security solutions to
ensure the right to freedom of expression.” The submission explores the
essential role of digital security tools, particularly encryption and
anonymity software, in protecting the rights to freedom of expression and
privacy of civil society actors, many of which are subject to
politically-motivated digital surveillance and censorship.

As an Appendix to our analysis, we include a chart on the relationship
between civil society requirements for effective and secure digital
communications, and the use of encryption or anonymity tools. This table is
not exhaustive and should be considered a first attempt at elaborating on
the types of information security risks posed to freedom of expression and
privacy. Properly implemented and non-backdoored encryption can reduce
exposure to certain forms of mass surveillance and provide users the
opportunity to remain in control of their information despite efforts to
compromise it, including interception and hacking. However, this analysis
also demonstrates that encryption is not a panacea for the diversity of
physical and digital threats that at-risk individuals face on a daily basis.

We look forward to further developing this resource and encourage members
of the technical community, civil society, journalists, and others to
critique the form and content of the Appendix.

The full submission can be found at the following link:
https://citizenlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/SR-FOE-submission.pdf
 [PDF}


Ronald Deibert
Director, the Citizen Lab
and the Canada Centre for Global Security Studies
Munk School of Global Affairs
University of Toronto
(416) 946-8916
PGP: http://deibert.citizenlab.org/pubkey.txt
http://deibert.citizenlab.org/
twitter.com/citizenlab
r.deibert at utoronto.ca
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