Saudi Arabia’s government should clarify whether it is infecting and monitoring mobile phones with surveillance malware, Human Rights Watch said today. Saudi officials should also say whether and how they intend to protect the rights of those targeted to privacy and free expression...Security researchers at the Toronto-based research group Citizen Lab have identified a malicious, altered version of the Qatif Today (al-Qatif al-Youm) Android app, an application that provides mobile access to Arabic-language news and information related to the Eastern Province town of Qatif. This altered application, if installed on a mobile phone, infects the phone with spyware made by Hacking Team, a company that says it sells surveillance and digital intrusion tools only to governments...In response to a request for comment to Citizen Lab’s June 24 report, Hacking Team responded with a statement to Human Rights Watch that points to the firm’s customer policy. According to the written policy and the firm’s statement, the company reviews potential sales for risk that its products may facilitate human rights violations and may decline a sale under certain circumstances...