North Korea's Elite Are Abandoning Facebook And Other Western Internet Sites

Reuters: North Korea's elite quitting Facebook, concealing internet activity: researcher

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea’s ruling class has in recent months abandoned Western social media sites such as Facebook (FB.O), Instagram and Alphabet’s Google (GOOGL.O) and dramatically increased its use of tools that cloak internet activity, according to cyber security research published on Wednesday.

The reclusive country’s small percentage of internet-connected leaders is preferring to use Chinese services such as Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu, U.S.-based cyber intelligence firm Recorded Future said in a report.

Between December 2017 and March 15 this year, North Korea’s elite increased by 1,200 percent its use of services such as virtual private networks and the Tor anonymity used to obfuscate internet activity, the firm said. Recorded Future said it analyzed internet protocol ranges associated with North Korea and other open-source information in its research.

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WNU Editor: In a Stalinist regime like North Korea, the elite could do whatever they want. This abandonement of Western web sites has more to do with masking their activities from foreign intellignce services, than what is happening internally.

More News On North Korea's Elite Abandoning Facebook And Other Western Internet Sites

North Korea’s internet elite has abandoned Facebook, Google and Instagram for Chinese alternatives in just six months -- Alphr
North Korea elite drop western websites to avoid online scrutiny -- Financial Times
North Korea's elite are quitting Facebook, Instagram -- New York Post
North Korean Internet Users Shun Facebook and Google for Chinese Alternatives -- Foreign Policy
Even North Korea's Elites Are Ditching Facebook -- Forbes
Why are internet users in North Korea abandoning Western social media? -- Ellen Tannam, Silicon Republic