The Citizen Lab

In speaking with dissidents who have relocated to Canada, it’s clear that digital transnational repression is seriously impacting their advocacy work, sense of security, and emotional wellbeing. Yet the Canadian government has done little to protect them. t.co/kFC1t6ioJr

The silencing and intimidation of dissidents abroad allows authoritarian regimes’ propaganda to prevail both domestically and internationally, giving authoritarianism an upper hand on the global stage. The latest from @sienaanstis & @nouraaljizawi t.co/yGUESUYC6y

While some victims of spyware click on socially-engineered links, many are hacked silently through “zero-click” vulnerabilities. One moment, a phone is safe; the next, it's silently transmitting private information to government spies, like in #CatalanGate t.co/0EQu71zI7h

"In the past decade, authoritarian regimes have greatly refined how the internet and digital communications can be harnessed for domestic & transnational repression" - @nouraaljizawi & @sienaanstis on the pernicious digital reach of states across borders t.co/dhtsyZsTCI

When truth is questioned and expertise is devalued, how can citizens respond? Tonight, join @RonDeibert, @NahlahAyed and Jennifer Welsh (@CIPSS_McGill) for a discussion on information, disinformation and the future of democracy. t.co/EpzXpl9Ysh

Think Bing's autosuggestion feature will help US users search for Xi Jinping? Think again. Read the full report: t.co/0UKR3JPxRn t.co/lTibVoFobg

NEW REPORT Bada Bing, Bada Boom: Microsoft Bing’s Chinese Political Censorship of Autosuggestions in North America t.co/0UKR3K79fX

In this new article, @sienaanstis & @sophie_barnett investigate digital transnational repression. Critically, they look at how states who host targeted dissidents are (not) responding to the use of digital tech to silence transnational political debate t.co/V8rzMQiFEc t.co/NrTykt8HI6

"We need governments themselves to be more responsible, more transparent, and more publicly accountable about how and when they use this kind of very powerful technology" - @RonDeibert t.co/5fv0pELEG9

Encouraging news, considering our previous research noted that the Calgary Police Service engaged in algorithmic social network analysis—tech which may be deployed by law enforcement to engage in person-focused algorithmic policing t.co/H9m70FsqzV

“One can only conclude that the bottom line matters more than human rights for those lining their pockets from NSO Group’s sales – including, their executives, owners, and high-priced lawyers.” - @RonDeibert t.co/5Wyd7TWCWk

Our report on the @IATA #COVID19 travel pass reveals a critical flaw in its registration process which allows an attacker to impersonate another user, needing only to know the user’s passport details but not possess the passport itself. t.co/0hn2acyWp3

Our #CatalanGate report reveals the largest number of confirmed spyware victims and targets in a single case, including *every Catalan president since 2010* t.co/yuyxVpvx5w

“Even the U.K. was underestimating the threat from Pegasus, and had just been spectacularly burned” - @jsrailton t.co/pE8YrQm7QZ

Our latest research is a story of secret hacking capabilities, how a government used them, and the threat they pose to fundamental rights and democracy. t.co/0EQu71zI7h

NEW REPORT CatalanGate: Extensive Mercenary Spyware Operation against Catalans Using Pegasus and Candiru t.co/yuyxVpvx5w

NEW REPORT Privacy and Security Analysis of the IATA Travel Pass Android App t.co/0hn2acyWp3

"There was no single moment that the regime left me alone" - @nouraaljizawi on the lasting impact of opposition in the age of digital transnational repression t.co/h7tYjTZkNu

NEW REPORT Peace through Pegasus: Jordanian Human Rights Defenders and Journalists Hacked with Pegasus Spyware t.co/31xn2GLUnX

NEW REPORT Engrave Condition: Apple’s Political Censorship Leaves Taiwan, Remains in Hong Kong t.co/R702Wbm8gq

Monday, March 21st at 11 am EST, @Cyn_K will appear before the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics to discuss the use and impact of facial recognition technology t.co/ad4PoqtbZK

تقريرنا الأخير الذي يوضح خطورة تحول التكنولوجيا إلى أداة لقمع النشطاء والمعارضين في المنافي، حتى بعد مغادرتهم بلدهم الأصلي! t.co/pExCKn2McP

"The more that regular users use censorship-resistant technology for everyday activities like unblocking movies, the better" - @jsrailton t.co/aJomMqpsIE

Join our team as a 2022 Information Controls Fellow! Since 2014, Citizen Lab + @OpenTechFund have supported diverse researchers to investigate the free flow of information online, access to the open Internet, and censorship mechanisms. Deadline: March 13 t.co/PSKY3iGS6S

"Government can’t just ignore due process when it’s inconvenient. As a democracy that prides itself on a high rule of law, Canada cannot slip toward a world where expediency wins over the correct process." - @caparsons t.co/LM0Gmihabv

Digital transnational repression has a range of serious impacts on dissidents and activists living in exile. In particular, women are routinely targeted. To combat this, we must listen to their stories and centre their knowledge. t.co/kFC1t6ioJr

Deadline to apply for the Information Controls Fellowship is March 13 More info: t.co/PSKY3iGS6S

Today at 2:00 pm EST: @caparsons discusses Canada's digital foreign policy agenda with @CanadianIGF t.co/7gZMAb4WpG

“The re-purposing of policing data to train AI technology is a very high-risk and controversial use of technology in policing from a human-rights perspective" - @KateRobertson_ t.co/5CDe4eWlMw

Join Citizen Lab fellow @lokmantsui for a discussion of how China is expanding the power of big data analytics for governing society. 🗓️ March 4 🕙 10:00 am EST 🗒️ t.co/KgW1JJa5ek t.co/sFUxZADHB6