The Citizen Lab

Citizen Lab researchers Noura Aljizawi, Shaila Baran, @mmichae1sen and Siena Anstis have a new paper in a special issue of @journalsafetech. Through the experiences of 25 exiled queer women activists from the Global Majority, they uncover a critical “protection gap” in mainstream digital security approaches. Read it here: t.co/TxLfXgjObZ

📣 Senior researcher Noura Aljizawi will present on taking a “queering cybersecurity” approach to digital transnational repression with the Journal of Online Trust and Safety tomorrow (September 8) at 11am ET. Join: t.co/UhSsYNsMHb 🔐 595654

Citizen Lab researchers Siena Anstis, @natynettle, and Kate Pundyk write in @lawfare about the U.K. Supreme Court’s ruling that Bahrain could not claim state immunity in a case involving the use of spyware against Bahraini dissidents living in the U.K. Read: t.co/s7w1jJ7vTg

2/ At least 11 Serbian pro-democracy campaigners and opposition figures recently received Apple Threat Notifications. Meanwhile, the team from @AmnestyTech has found that NoviSpy spyware is still being deployed against members of the student movement, and that the spyware has been modified in an attempt at greater stealth.

3/ Apple patched the iMessage exploit as of iOS iOS 18.4.1, but the continued Apple Threat Notifications indicate that the student movement continues to be aggressively targeted with mercenary spyware. If you are concerned your iPhone may be targeted with mercenary spyware, we encourage you to use Apple’s Lockdown Mode and seek expert guidance from trusted experts, such as the @accessnow digital security helpline. Read our investigation: t.co/r7jfmepmiM

1/ NEW: an investigation by our collaborator @shareconference reveals widespread spyware targeting Serbia's pro-democracy student movement. The Citizen Lab can confirm that an iPhone belonging to a student was infected with Pegasus spyware in a zero-click attack over iMessage. This is the most recent public Pegasus case, and it comes amidst a critical series of elections in Serbia 1/ Read more: t.co/5MyBdPHQij

🔈 Join senior researcher @irenepoet at Data for Policy 2026 on September 8-10. She will be presenting on how AI systems have facilitated the consolidation of state authority differently in India and Vietnam. Register: t.co/Xua6XHsyvh t.co/i8zzrPr4Kx

Senior researcher @jsrailton spoke to @techcrunch about the “unprecedented” number of Apple users who recently received notifications alerting them to suspected spyware attacks against their devices. Read: t.co/EvAH1SjqBc

📢 @OpenTechFund's 2026 Information Controls Research Program, supporting researchers tackling internet #censorship & #surveillance, is accepting applications. As one of the host organizations, we welcome proposals. Learn more and apply by September 7, 2026: t.co/QOAYPxfdrR

Coordinated false reporting is a censorship threat to civil society, and it’s nearly invisible. Senior researcher Alberto Fittarelli speaks to @OCCRP about this increasingly common tactic. Read: t.co/OATZ1FBfPy

Citizen Lab researchers Siena Anstis,@mmichae1sen, and Kate Pundyk write about immigration policy and transnational repression for @FPCThinkTank. "Host states cannot claim to counter repression across borders while ignoring the role their immigration policies play in enabling it.” Read: t.co/2pAE0mIctQ

Senior research associate @katerobertson_ speaks about Canada’s surprising decision to sign the UN Cybercrime Convention on @LawBytesPod, arguing that it has significant implications for human rights and internet freedom. Listen: t.co/bJNEvHnHxA

A recent investigation by @OCCRP found that the co-founder of NSO Group travelled to Panama in 2013 on an Israeli diplomatic passport. Senior researcher @jsrailton notes that it “raises questions about NSO’s connections to the [Israeli] state.” Read: t.co/gLZdvmxHcl

Senior fellow Gary Miller spoke with @capecelluar about the exploitation of mobile network vulnerabilities to track US personnel during the Iran war. Watch here: t.co/Ri34KbW8UW

Senior research fellow Gary Miller spoke to @FT about attempts to exploit mobile network vulnerabilities to track US personnel during the Iran war. Read: t.co/pOqj8CfISc

Join the Citizen Lab in Calgary at the 26th Privacy Enhancing Technologies Symposium (PETS). Senior researchers @jsrailton and Rebekah Brown will be speaking, and Citizen Lab researchers are presenting their analysis of censorship on Amazon. Register: t.co/OZr4UxL9GK

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

4/ We are not attributing these infections to a particular Pegasus operator at this time, but we note an overlap with a previously-identified campaign targeting Russian and Belarusian-speaking exiled journalists and activists in Europe.

3/ This case is not the first time that a European member of parliament has had their devices either targeted or hacked with mercenary spyware.

2/ Kouloglou was infected during key periods of PEGA committee activity, meaning that confidential documents and communications relevant to the committee may have been exposed.

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

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

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: t.co/B8onzaee5C

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

2/ Our analysis is confirmed by a document prepared by Russian authorities showing that Cellebrite was used to extract information to aid in Pivovarov’s prosecution.

3/ Importantly, we found that authorities continued to use Cellebrite for political repression even after the company had cancelled its contracts with Russian customers.

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.