ResearchTransparency and Accountability

Shutting the Backdoor The Perils of National Security and Digital Surveillance Programs

The Citizen Lab is pleased to announce the release of a new report by Director Ron Deibert, “Shutting the Backdoor: The Perils of National Security and Digital Surveillance Programs,” written for the Strategic Studies Working Group (SSWG), a partnership between the Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute (CDFAI) and the Canadian International Council (CIC).

In the report, Deibert argues that as governments have sought to monitor digital communications for security purposes, the ”Backdoor” paradigm has become the most predominant approach. This approach, however, is not only a concern for political reasons, especially for civil liberties, but also for digital security and foreign policy reasons. Deibert suggests that law enforcement and intelligence agencies should instead seek to work within the information-rich world of Big Data that provides us with any access to private communications made exceptional, and strictly controlled by lawful procedures and oversight mechanisms.

Read the full report here.