American software used by many countries to censor internet

Several authoritarian regimes use technology U.S. company to monitor, filter and censor information on the Internet, say researchers in this study. These software and technologies developed by Blue Coat Systems, based in California, have been used by China, Russia, Venezuela and other countries that raise "concerns regarding human rights" department notes Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto.

These researchers analyzed for several weeks, until January 2013, 61 softwares named ProxySG and PacketShaper 316 tools "with special features that allow you to filter, censor, and monitor." These tools were used by Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Bahrain, China, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya , Lebanon, Malaysia, Nigeria, Russia, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey and Venezuela. The researchers emphasize "the need for a thorough review of the uses of products by Blue Coat (these) country" and suggested "look more closely at the global proliferation of these technologies of information and communication."

Providers "should think clearly and publicly say what are their tools. And we hope that Blue Coat seize the opportunity of this report to explain how they ensure that their tools are not used to violate human rights. "

The Canadian laboratory has published this report after similar technology Blue Coat had been discovered in Syria in 2011. Blue Coat was not immediately able to respond. According to its website, the company offers "products that provide the visibility, acceleration and security required to optimize and secure the flow of information received by any user or network, anywhere."