Tech & Rights

'Citizenfour' Debate: How to Control the Controllers?

After Edward Snowden revealed confidential documents kept by the US National Security Agency, uncovering the data collection and monitoring of millions of people, whistleblowers have become a topic of public debate.

by Centre for Peace Studies - Croatia

We still do not have answers to the questions of how to effectively monitor the work of government and its agencies, and how to prevent the misuse of personal data collected by the authorities.

These issues formed the motivation for organizing a screening in Croatia of the film "Citizenfour," directed by Laura Poitras. It was held in the Europa Cinema in Zagreb and was organized by Centre for Peace Studies, Multimedia Institute MaMa and RESTART Label.

The film was an opportunity to organize a panel discussion, gathering activists, hackers, journalist and members of academia and other institutions.

Here are some of the their comments on these issues:

"After September 11 there was a change of doctrine. In the name of fighting terrorism, everything is being monitored," said professor Vlatko Cvrtila, an expert on geopolitical issues.
"We agree to be monitored and the question is how we will change being aware of this fact,“ said Gordan Bosanac from Centre for Peace Studies. "Tragedies such as those in the Mediterranean will be more frequent. Maybe debate on spying and the collection of data can contribute in prevention of such tragedies, if relevant institutions would know this kind of information on time."

One of the solutions is a legal framework that can protect whistleblowers and encourage people to reveal information that government finds controversial.

"Bosnia and Herzegovina has a good law on whistleblowers, which levies fines as a mechanism to protect them. Croatia doesn’t have this legal framework. One suggestion was given by the Labour Party and one by Human Rights House Zagreb,“ said journalist Helena Puljiz. "A possible solution to this massive problem might be found in groups like Anonymous and other groups of people that protect human rights."
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