Counterintelligence for civil society

Investigating novel threats to democracy, human rights, and global security in the digital ecosystem.

Pegasus Spyware Infection of Serbian Pro-Democracy Student Activist

Targeted Surveillance

In collaboration with the SHARE Foundation, the Citizen Lab confirmed that the iPhone of a member of Serbia’s student protest movement was infected with Pegasus spyware.

September 2, 2026

Espionage Against the European Parliament

Member of Committee Investigating Spyware Hacked with Pegasus

Targeted Surveillance

We found that former Member of the European Parliament Stelios Kouloglou was hacked with Pegasus spyware while serving on the PEGA committee, which investigated Pegasus and other spyware abuses in Europe. Through forensic analysis of his device, we found that the attackers could have had access to confidential documents and committee deliberations.

July 3, 2026

Russia Breaks Into Human Rights Activist’s Phone With Cellebrite

Targeted Surveillance

We analyzed Russian activist Andrey Pivovarov’s phone, finding that Russian authorities used forensic extraction tools made by Cellebrite to gain access to his device. A document prepared by Russian authorities confirms that Cellebrite was used to extract information to aid in Pivovarov’s prosecution. Importantly, we found that authorities continued to use Cellebrite for political repression even after the company had cancelled its contracts with Russian customers.

June 25, 2026

Counterintelligence for civil society

Investigating novel threats to democracy, human rights, and global security in the digital ecosystem.

Counterintelligence for civil society

Investigating novel threats to democracy, human rights, and global security in the digital ecosystem.

Pegasus Spyware Infection of Serbian Pro-Democracy Student Activist

Targeted Surveillance

In collaboration with the SHARE Foundation, the Citizen Lab confirmed that the iPhone of a member of Serbia’s student protest movement was infected with Pegasus spyware.

September 2, 2026

Read the full report

Espionage Against the European Parliament

Member of Committee Investigating Spyware Hacked with Pegasus

Targeted Surveillance

We found that former Member of the European Parliament Stelios Kouloglou was hacked with Pegasus spyware while serving on the PEGA committee, which investigated Pegasus and other spyware abuses in Europe. Through forensic analysis of his device, we found that the attackers could have had access to confidential documents and committee deliberations.

July 3, 2026

Read the full report

Russia Breaks Into Human Rights Activist’s Phone With Cellebrite

Targeted Surveillance

We analyzed Russian activist Andrey Pivovarov’s phone, finding that Russian authorities used forensic extraction tools made by Cellebrite to gain access to his device. A document prepared by Russian authorities confirms that Cellebrite was used to extract information to aid in Pivovarov’s prosecution. Importantly, we found that authorities continued to use Cellebrite for political repression even after the company had cancelled its contracts with Russian customers.

June 25, 2026

Read the full report

The Citizen Lab is an interdisciplinary research unit at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto. We apply our collective expertise in the fields of law, computer science, cybersecurity, political science, and social sciences to investigate complex issues of the 21st century.

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Expert Insights

U.K. Supreme Court Opens Door for Spyware Victims to Sue Foreign States

Last month, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom issued a highly anticipated decision in The Kingdom of Bahrain v. Shehabi and another (Shehabi). The claimants, two Bahraini dissidents living in the U.K., allegedly suffered psychological harm after Bahrain used FinSpy spyware to hack into their devices. In an important step towards accountability, the court […]