The Citizen Lab

@citizenlab · on X ↗
1,764 posts archived · 0 deleted · tracked since Oct 22, 2026 · checked 25m ago · Download · RSS
Full history archived

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

📍 Toronto, Canada

Likes
52K
Reach
6.4M
Replies
1,786
Reposts
35K

Why it's watchedhuman rights online activists

The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
“NSO’s claims to be the only party that can ‘truly’ verify infections is like a robber claiming to be the only one who can truly confirm whether he committed a crime.” @jsrailton 🇲🇽: reporters, activists hacked w NSO spyware despite assurances @skirchy t.co/ePlYdeNgRr
💬 1🔁 33 ♥ 41👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
Covert CIA websites could have been found by an ‘amateur’, research finds t.co/vS264u5NCJ @skirchy on our CIA covert comms investigation, led by senior researcher @billmarczak
💬 4🔁 23 ♥ 62👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
NEW: Read statement by director @rondeibert on the fatal flaws found by senior researcher @billmarczak in a defunct CIA covert communications system. We are not publishing the full findings at this time pending responsible disclosure process... t.co/YTMkTNQsDA
💬 3🔁 58 ♥ 92👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · quote ↗ 🔏
In Prague for #VB2022? Make sure to see Citizen Lab senior researcher @billmarczak and @AmnestyTech's @DonnchaC's joint presentation "Exploit Archaeology: A Forensic History of in-the-wild NSO Group Exploits." 👇👇👇
💬 1🔁 4 ♥ 23👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
Listen to our own @nouraaljizawi talk about countering gender-based disinfo on the "Advocacy, Passion & Beyond" podcast 👇 t.co/IqS5K5l6OT
💬 0🔁 3 ♥ 7👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
Chinese police target Tibetans for DNA collection, reports allege t.co/WKf5ChwQNy
💬 1🔁 12 ♥ 26👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
NEW REPORT: Mass DNA Collection in the Tibet Autonomous Region from 2016–2022 by postdoctorial fellow @emiledirks 👇 t.co/WQSGnEhoZ0
💬 3🔁 54 ♥ 84👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
JOB OPENING! Are you a comms professional looking to work with an exciting organization doing high-profile work? Join us @citizenlab!! We're hiring a communications specialist. Details below 👇 t.co/EMBf6g8YCL t.co/dsVFdyir3F
Image in @citizenlab's post: JOB OPENING!

Are you a comms professional looking to work with an exciting organization doing high…
💬 3🔁 22 ♥ 31👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
LISTEN: [7 min mark]: Citizen Lab senior researcher @nouraaljizawi reflects on @I_Salma1988's detention & digital transnational repression after she was threatened online by trolls who reported her tweets to Saudi authorities through the Kuluna Amen app. t.co/bwdQ3jrBOD
💬 1🔁 12 ♥ 20👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
Citizen Lab director @RonDeibert spoke to @BBCWorld on the ongoing Predator spyware scandal in Greece 🇬🇷, and the risks of mercenary spyware: Spyware allegations mount pressure on Greek government - BBC News t.co/GiYrr5hy8t via @YouTube
💬 0🔁 26 ♥ 29👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
Saudi snitching app appears to have been used against jailed Leeds student @citizenlab's @nouraaljizawi comments on a “new phase of digital authoritarianism”. 👇 t.co/xUWsCDGY1Y
💬 0🔁 30 ♥ 38👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
Earlier this week, director @RonDeibert testified before the 🇨🇦 House of Commons #ETHI on @rcmpgrcpolice use of spyware Our written submission, published today, describes the unique sophistication & risks of spyware & makes several recommendations t.co/DNtEDaZGUj t.co/J8JdyaTvzJ
Image in @citizenlab's post: Earlier this week, director @RonDeibert testified before the 🇨🇦 House of Commons #ETHI on @rcmpgrcp…
💬 1🔁 7 ♥ 30👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
Security researcher slams federal government for refusing to identify RCMP’s spyware provider /via @globeandmail t.co/RX9vGMOqBs
💬 1🔁 15 ♥ 24👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
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
💬 2🔁 46 ♥ 88👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
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
💬 3🔁 38 ♥ 80👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
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
💬 11🔁 573 ♥ 400👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
As digital technologies expand, so too do efforts to silence dissent—even across borders. t.co/KX9o1l3sOa
💬 1🔁 17 ♥ 22👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
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
💬 0🔁 31 ♥ 42👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
“This is a kind of capability that they have done everything possible to keep incredibly quiet” - @caparsons t.co/N8EQkO17KR
💬 3🔁 21 ♥ 32👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
"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
💬 3🔁 30 ♥ 39👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
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
💬 0🔁 4 ♥ 7👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
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
💬 0🔁 14 ♥ 19👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
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
💬 1🔁 17 ♥ 34👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
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
💬 3🔁 17 ♥ 37👁 –
The Citizen Lab @citizenlab · ↗ 🔏
"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
💬 2🔁 17 ♥ 18👁 –
Older posts →