Carleen F Maitland, Herschel F Thomas and Louis-Marie Ngamassi Tchouakeu
Journal of Information Technology, (16 October 2012)
doi:10.1057/jit.2012.20
http://www.palgrave-journals.com/jit/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/jit201220a.html
http://cmaitland.ist.psu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/MaitlandCensorshipJIT2012.pdf
# Abstract
Using an organizational informatics approach, this study explores the
implications of human rights organizations’ use of censorship
circumvention technologies. Through qualitative analyses of data
collected through in-depth interviews, the research examines the factors
influencing the use of circumvention technologies and the organizational
effects of their use. The outcomes include a revised model of censorship
circumvention technology use as well as a new model situating human
rights organizations and their audiences in bidirectional information
flows. The research provides recommendations for practice as well as
insight for organizational informatics and information systems security
research in the areas of protective technologies, awareness, detection,
and physical security.
# From the Conclusion
Despite having information dissemination as a primary mission and
recognizing their websites are likely being blocked, this research
finds, contrary to our expectations, use of these technologies is not
widespread. Only two of the seven organizations employed server-side
technologies to enhance access to their websites, while a little over
half employed client-side technologies. Factors explaining these
findings include the audience and importance of Internet censorship to
the organization, as well as resource limitations. The study results in
two models, which can serve as the basis for future research, one
specifying variables to explain circumvention technology adoption and
use and a second that depicts the factors influencing human rights
organizations’ information flows.
As an indicator of the impact of censorship, this research finds
organizations are struggling to systematically detect and thwart website
blocking. In one case the censorship has led an organization to abandon
the web altogether and in another censorship influenced an
organization’s countries of operation. Given the limited resources of
human rights organizations, client-side circumvention technologies
appear to have lower barriers to adoption, providing what is likely a
more effective means of circumvention.
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