UK report shows surveillance efforts involving journalists
Bristol, U.K., March 9, 2020 — Authorities in the United Kingdom should refrain from surveilling members of the press and should provide more transparency about surveillance efforts involving journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Nigeria’s communications regulator sued over warrantless access to ‘call data’
Laws and Rights Awareness Initiative, a Nigerian nongovernmental organization, filed a lawsuit on February 25 against the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over regulations granting warrantless access to telecom subscribers’ information, including “call data.” The suit claims that accessing the information “violates and will likely further violate” Nigerians’ constitutional right to privacy, according to a copy…
Nigerian journalist Fejiro Oliver charged with cybercrime for corruption report
Fejiro Oliver, the publisher of the privately owned Secret Reporters news site, is scheduled to appear in court in Nigeria’s southwestern Lagos city on May 28, 2020, after years of adjourned legal proceedings, he told CPJ. Department of State Services (DSS) agents separately questioned him three times about his reporting in 2019, he said. Oliver’s…
Nigerian police detain News Digest web developer, charge journalists
Nigerian police charged Gidado Yushau, the publisher of the privately owned News Digest news website, and freelance journalist Alfred Olufemi with criminal conspiracy and defamation on November 12, 2019, according to a copy of the charge sheet seen by CPJ. The next court date is scheduled for March 4, 2020, Olufemi told CPJ. If convicted,…
How Nigeria’s police used telecom surveillance to lure and arrest journalists
As reporters for Nigeria’s Premium Times newspaper, Samuel Ogundipe and Azeezat Adedigba told CPJ they spoke often over the phone. They had no idea that their regular conversations about work and their personal lives were creating a record of their friendship.
Colombian magazine Semana alleges military spied on its journalists
Bogotá, January 13, 2020 – Colombian authorities must undertake an in-depth and transparent investigation into allegations that the military illegally spied on journalists, and ensure those responsible are brought to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
US-Nigerian Sahara Reporters website reports assets frozen amid surveillance, censorship
New York, December 10, 2019—Nigerian authorities should halt all efforts to intimidate journalists working with the U.S.-headquartered, Nigeria-focused Sahara Reporters news website and ensure they are permitted to continue working to report the news, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
European Parliament must push for safeguards for journalists in ‘e-evidence’ proposal
Brussels, October 30, 2019—The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern today that a proposed European Union regulation on law enforcement access to electronic data lacks sufficient safeguards for journalists. The Regulation on European Production and Preservation Orders is known as the “e-evidence proposal.”
Q&A: Moroccan press freedom advocate and NSO Group spyware target Maati Monjib
Pegasus, the cellphone spyware tool sold by the Israeli firm NSO Group, is one of the most powerful surveillance systems governments can buy, experts say. Researchers who study it have detected “45 countries where Pegasus operators may be conducting surveillance operations,” and detailed its capabilities: whoever tricks the target into clicking on a link that…
Israel eased export controls on surveillance technologies amid criticism
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. It is not clear which companies, and which products, were impacted; however, Reuters reported that the…