Hackers Unite to Protect Journalists Under Fire in Mexico Hayes Brown - ThinkProgress
go to original August 13, 2013

A group of hackers, activists, and reporters convened in Washington, DC last weekend to tackle the challenge of reporting out fraud, corruption, and human rights abuses in places where power brokers have a crucial stake in keeping such things under wraps.

If you’re concerned about the U.S. government’s surveillance programs and its scrutiny of journalists in a crackdown on leaks of classified information, imagine how it must feel to be reporting in places like Mexico and Syria. Participants in FreedomHack did just that, using their skills to create ways for reporters and whistleblowers to avoid detection and the retaliation that would come along with it.

Mexican journalists, security experts, and activists launched the event by briefing the assembled teams in DC on the particular issues they face via a secured Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) connection. From there, the seven teams of hackers and tech wonks used their skills to either build their own platforms and apps or build upon existing technology designed to help reporters surreptitiously contact sources, file reports, upload documents and otherwise protect themselves from danger while performing their jobs — all within the 24 hours of the “hackathon.” At the same time, a team of journalists and experts put together field manuals for reporters on the variety of technology currently available to them.

Read the rest at ThinkProgress

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