The Citizen Lab

WATCH: Last week, the European Parliament had a plenary debate on #spyware after Citizen Lab researchers found that a former MEP's phone was hacked with #Pegasus spyware. The consensus: the crisis is getting worse. @HNeumannMEP @saskiabricmont @ElenaKountoura @LukasSieperMdEP @danusenerudova

1/ NEW REPORT: Former Member of the European Parliament Stelios Kouloglou was repeatedly hacked with NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware while serving on the EU committee investigating Pegasus and other spyware abuses in Europe. Full report: t.co/IPiOhHDKix

In “How to Combat Transnational Repression,” published in @JoDemocracy Citizen Lab researchers Siena Anstis and @mmichae1sen write about the lack of accountability for perpetrators of transnational repression. Read: t.co/FkNEExR26B

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: t.co/fMk3QnQGAR

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

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

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: t.co/oMAjCB4Xk9.

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: t.co/7h9Ki5iyCL t.co/B3vNrFc03r

"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. t.co/buRRmFqgwo

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. t.co/0EDbEC7Da6

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 👇 t.co/22nNnED9AQ

🚨New research reveals how two sophisticated surveillance actors exploited the global telecom ecosystem and, for the first time, directly links combined 3G and 4G network attacks to mobile operator infrastructure. Full report 👇 t.co/NfBNUuewdj t.co/nL8Bvn44in

Join Noura Aljizawi at the inaugural Ottawa Civic Space Summit on April 21, hosted by Cooperation Canada and Resilient Societies: t.co/mEiaehHFGj

Senior research associate @emiledirks spoke with @DominoTheoryMag about Xi Jinping’s view of national security in light of U.S. and Israeli cyber operations in Iran: t.co/9Ass5U6vwx

NEW REPORT: “Uncovering Webloc: An Analysis of Penlink’s Ad-based Geolocation Surveillance Tech” Our research confirms that ad-based surveillance tech Webloc is used by military, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies across the globe. t.co/JAhezx0KUV

“People will fall back to what works, and they won’t think about security in those critical moments.” Senior researcher Ksenia Ermoshina spoke w/ the @nytimes about how Russians may start giving in to the limits imposed by state censorship technology. t.co/hjUUmlTdWX

In a submission to the @UNHumanRights Working Group regarding the use of tech in the operations and activities of mercenaries, mercenary-related actors and private military and security companies, co-author @RonDeibert warns that states should stop relying on the private sector for digital operations. Read it here: t.co/ukhl92eMFM

When it comes to the consequences of AI disinformation, “the risk cuts both ways,” senior researcher Alberto Fittarelli told the @nytimes. t.co/9kFPI8msfv

Today at 3:30 pm @RonDeibert will appear before the 🇨🇦@HoCCommittees Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (SDIR) to testify on transnational repression. t.co/ffjUCeI6BI

Italian prosecutors have confirmed the hacking of journalist Francesco Cancellato by Paragon spyware. Senior researcher @jsrailton spoke with The Guardian and @TechCrunch about the case. 🧵

New submission from the Citizen Lab to @UNHumanRights on protecting human rights defenders from digital transnational repression: t.co/uGyLMEScRx

Senior researcher @irenepoet writes for @CarnegieEndow about the Myanmar military junta’s use of internet service provider (ISP) infrastructure to surveil and censor users. Read the article: t.co/RkAJtB5tq7

“Given China’s extensive cyber espionage capabilities, there’s a much more likely way for the CCP to get access to his cellphone than filing an access to information request. And it would be far speedier too!” @RonDeibert in @TorontoStar discussing Premier Doug Ford's claims that he’s tightening #Ontario's access to information laws to “protect” himself and his cabinet ministers from “communist China” and other hostile powers. Read it here: t.co/KIGEq0SC9R

Authoritarian states use gender-based digital transnational repression to silence outspoken women in diaspora communities. Senior researcher Noura Aljizawi spoke with @FullerProject about how it affects victims. Read the article t.co/WAdx9vOK70

"Transnational Repression in an Age of Upheaval: Global Policy Challenges for Canada" In a policy brief for @CIGIonline, researchers argue that the Canadian government must do more to protect diaspora members from #transnationalrepression. Read it here: t.co/B9UzcRsOuy

BOOK LAUNCH: Join the Citizen Lab’s @jon_penney, @rondeibert, and @katerobertson_ as they discuss Penney’s new book, "Chilling Effects: Repression, Conformity, and Power in the Digital Age." March 12 at 5:30 pm RSVP: t.co/3t4sdcqFeK t.co/MZ5UDTo1bD

Join senior researcher @irenepoet on March 13 for “Moving Beyond the Given: The Politics of Categories and Subjectivity in Indonesia” at @AASAsianStudies annual conference in Vancouver. #AAS2026 Get details: t.co/4DdKOh8q2M

MARCH 10: Get practical tips from the Citizen Lab's Rebekah Brown at @accessnow's Digital Security Helpline webinar on preventing spear-phishing attacks against civil society. Register: t.co/vhK3ZnIEXP

On March 10 Citizen Lab senior research associate @KateRobertson_ will share her expertise and insights at @OsgoodeNews’ course on AI and criminal justice in Canada. Register: t.co/KYn1ZvrHiN

NEW REPORT – “Not Safe for Politics: Cellebrite Used on Kenyan Activist and Politician Boniface Mwangi” New research shows that Kenyan authorities used Cellebrite’s forensic extraction tools to access activist Boniface Mwangi’s phone. Read it here t.co/B8onzaee5C