The Citizen Lab

Spyware is huge threat to global human rights & democracy, like "a wiretap on steroids," @RonDeibert @citizenlab director to testify today before the 🇨🇦 House of Commons on RCMP use of spyware, 3pm ET, urging greater oversight & accountability t.co/CU9JggeJw0

Today at 10:00 am EST, @jsrailton will be testifying before the U.S. @HouseIntel Committee. He'll be addressing the increasing harms of mercenary spyware companies and the torrent of human rights abuses they support. Watch live: t.co/GpZ2SjVWmC

Listen to Citizen Lab director @RonDeibert in conversation with @joglanville1 of @article19org about #Pegasus #PegasusProject #NSO #mercenaryspyware And more! 👇👇👇 t.co/s3BklrLOk4

NEW REPORT: Discovery of an extensive espionage campaign in Thailand 🇹🇭 involving the abuse of NSO Group’s #Pegasus spyware In collaboration with @iLawFX and @DigitalReachSEA t.co/6X2bG5nxwa

As digital technologies expand, so too do efforts to silence dissent—even across borders. t.co/KX9o1l3sOa

For each person that was infected in #CatalanGate, the privacy of dozens—perhaps hundreds—of people with whom they had communicated, or even sat in the same room with, were also compromised. t.co/0EQu71zI7h

“This is a kind of capability that they have done everything possible to keep incredibly quiet” - @caparsons t.co/N8EQkO17KR

"People are fearful they don’t know whether they can trust their device that’s in their hand...This is like putting sand in the machinery of civil society, slowing everything down, confusing people, spreading fear and paranoia." - @RonDeibert t.co/cKQ5WfSq3E

ICYMI: @RonDeibert joined @ProvokeIdeas to discuss disinformation and shed light on how democracies can respond to one of the most pressing issues of our time t.co/OcO8j76jdf

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