New Citizen Lab Report Maps Growth of Government Surveillance Worldwide

ICFP Fellow Bill Marczak co-authors research on increased global use of FinFisher spyware
Thu, 2015-10-15 16:35

FinFisher, an easy-to-use surveillance tool sold exclusively to governments, is being used in more countries than ever before, according to a new Citizen Lab report.

The new research, co-authored and led by Information Controls Fellow Bill Marczak, identifies 32 countries where government entities are likely using the spyware to surveil targets – often journalists, human rights activists, and opposition political groups.

Countries identified as FinFisher clients include repressive environments such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Venezuela. A large number of IP addresses were suspected of belonging to FinFisher but were not traced to a specific country, meaning there are likely more countries using the spyware.

Read the full Citizen Lab report, “Pay No Attention to the Server Behind the Proxy: Mapping FinFisher’s Continuing Proliferation” here.

Coverage from APMotherboardThe Hill.