By AFP on June 27, 2014
DUBAI - Human Rights Watch on Friday demanded a clarification from Saudi Arabia over allegations from security researchers that the kingdom is infecting and monitoring dissidents' mobile phones with surveillance malware.
The New York-based rights watchdog said surveillance software allegedly made by Italian firm Hacking Team mostly targeted individuals in Qatif district in Eastern Province, which has been the site of sporadic Shiite-led protests since February 2011.
"We have documented how Saudi authorities routinely crack down on online activists who have embraced social media to call out human rights abuses," said Cynthia Wong, HRW's senior Internet researcher.
"It seems that authorities may now be hacking into mobile phones, turning digital tools into just another way for the government to intimidate and silence independent voices," said Wong.
Security Week/ full read here/ http://www.securityweek.com/human-rights-watch-says-saudi-govt-targeting-dissidents-malware
Human Rights Watch Says Saudi Govt Targeting Dissidents with Malware
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