The Citizen Lab

Academic research unit at @UofT investigating novel threats to democracy, human rights, and global security in the digital ecosystem.

[The Citizen Lab @citizenlab]

1/ NEW REPORT: We find that Russian authorities used Cellebrite to gain access to activist Andrey Pivovarov’s phone. Full brief: https://t.co/KFaRMZREli

[The Citizen Lab @citizenlab]

Senior research associate @emiledirks has been elected to serve as a member of @PENCanada's board of directors, chairing the newly-formed Digital Threats committee to explore how digital and emerging technologies are impacting freedom of expression in Canada and around the world: https://t.co/fMk3QnQGAR

[The Citizen Lab @citizenlab]

5/ Read @accessnow's recommendations to companies and states here: https://t.co/mObazFSyJx

[The Citizen Lab @citizenlab]

1/ NEW REPORT: We find that Russian authorities used Cellebrite to gain access to activist Andrey Pivovarov’s phone. Full brief: https://t.co/KFaRMZREli

[The Citizen Lab @citizenlab]

4/ This is just the latest in a long line of abuses of Cellebrite’s technology by autocrats around the globe, including against activists in Kenya and Jordan earlier this year: https://t.co/B8onzaee5C

[John Scott-Railton @jsrailton]

WATCH: We're building the most dictator-ready tech in history.

Why? Meet the frontier AI trilemma. You can:

1️⃣Operate globally
2️⃣Comply with restrictive 'safety' laws
3️⃣Serve unrestricted cognition

But you can only pick 2!

Given US directive suspending Fable 5 & Mythos, I think state control is coming even faster than I predicted last week.

[The Citizen Lab @citizenlab]

Senior fellow Cynthia Khoo writes that Canada's new AI strategy is reorienting democratic functions "around the false god of AI" in @thewalrus https://t.co/5qRQZf4Ssh

[The Citizen Lab @citizenlab]

Senior researcher Luis Fernando García participated in a Conversatorio Regional hosted by @FViaLibre on “Technologies of state surveillance, democratic control, and protection of civil space.”

Watch here: https://t.co/oMAjCB4Xk9.

[The Citizen Lab @citizenlab]

As part of World Press Freedom Day 2026, senior legal advisor Siena Anstis will be speaking on a webinar titled “Media Under Attack,” part of @FPCThinkTank "Freedom Under Threat” series.

Register: https://t.co/7h9Ki5iyCL

[profdeibert @RonDeibert]

It was a pleasure to speak with @iMEdD_org and @pfronista about the work of the @citizenlab while in Athens, Greece.

"Surveillance capitalism, counterintelligence for civil society, and journalism: a conversation with Citizen Lab’s founder"

https://t.co/zxgLm8fm92

[The Citizen Lab @citizenlab]

"We believe students aren’t protesting for a very simple reason: They are afraid. They are self-censoring and disengaging from campaign activism to avoid punitive measures," writes senior research fellow @jon_penney in his new essay w/ Bruce Schneier for @ConversationUS.

https://t.co/buRRmFqgwo

[Jon Penney @jon_penney]

Bruce Schneier (@schneierblog) & I have a new essay out in @ConversationUS on the Trump admin's strategy of weaponizing law, technology, & surveillance to chill protest, dissent, & political opposition.

In other words, the chilling effects are the point

https://t.co/ZVaFDMbFTJ

[The Citizen Lab @citizenlab]

Senior research associate @KateRobertson_ writes for @thewalrus about the potential implications of Canada’s proposed Bill C-22 for future data-sharing agreements with foreign law enforcement agencies.

https://t.co/0EDbEC7Da6

[profdeibert @RonDeibert]

A detailed takedown of Canada's Bill C-22 by my @citizenlab colleague @KateRobertson_ 👇

[John Scott-Railton @jsrailton]

NEW: we caught 🇨🇳Chinese hackers... again.

Twist: they're hacking journalists & activists, but we suspect they're private contractors.

State repression... with a profit margin.

Thread + how to protect yourself 1/

By us @citizenlab in collab w/@ICIJorg

[profdeibert @RonDeibert]

ChatGPT Is Banned In China. Beijing’s Spies Are Still Using It. via @forbes https://t.co/Ogqdh98mZp @iblametom on our @citizenlab / @ICIJorg investigation 👇

[profdeibert @RonDeibert]

China-linked hackers led phishing campaigns targeting journalists and activists, researchers say https://t.co/AZCkhcVNFb @TheRecord_Media

[profdeibert @RonDeibert]

Thanks for having me on @NPR @npratc to talk with Rob Schmitz about our new @citizenlab report on Webloc, and advertising intelligence in general

https://t.co/Rk7nX1l4dP

[The Citizen Lab @citizenlab]

These operations point to a shift toward a Military-Civil Fusion model, in which state-aligned objectives are pursued through state-sponsored attacks carried out by private contractors.

[The Citizen Lab @citizenlab]

NEW REPORT🔎 In collaboration with @ICIJorg, we identified two distinct actors aligned with the People’s Republic of China that have been targeting and impersonating journalists and civil society.

Full report 👇
https://t.co/22nNnED9AQ

[The Citizen Lab @citizenlab]

The dual targeting of ICIJ by two distinct actors–using different tactics and tradecraft–offers rare insight into China’s broader approach to digital transnational repression.