The small slice of folks who sit atop North Korea's sociopolitical hierarchy use the internet pretty much like anyone else in the world, according to a study published by Recorded Future on Wednesday.
That might sound surprising, and indeed the report sparked a flurry of news stories on the topic. But it shouldn't come as a shock, according to experts familiar with the region.
The country is more open than people realize, though access to any type of online information is still strictly monitored if you're not high up on the ruling family food chain.
Many North Koreans have cellphones, but those phones are equipped with little more than the ability to call and text, according to Recorded Future. Some, such as "university students, scientists, and select government officials," have access to the nation's intranet, which is run and closely monitored by the government.
While officials might be concerned about the computer activity of their fellow citizens, they're evidently not that concerned that others can look in on their own computer antics. Recorded Future was able to get their data because, like seemingly damn near everyone else on the internet, the North Korean elite didn't do much to obscure their online activity.
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