News
Citizen Lab's latest news and announcements.
FAQ on Zoom Security Issues
Since publishing report on Zoom security issues, there have been a wide range of responses to our research from the media, public, and Zoom itself. This document provides answers to frequently asked questions and addresses some inaccurate framings of our research.
Toronto Star: Toronto police chief halts use of controversial facial recognition tool
New reporting reveals that Toronto police officers deployed Clearview AI for months before Chief Mark Saunders knew of its use. The controversial facial recognition tool identifies individuals by scanning billions of pictures from the open web, including social media sites
Toronto Star: How these Toronto Sleuths are Exposing the World’s Digital Spies while Risking their Own Lives
This comprehensive Toronto Star profile provides an overview of the Citizen Lab’s work, impact, and history, mapping our journey from a initial Ford Foundation grant to an organization with 18 staff and a dozen research fellows.
CBC: WhatsApp Attributes Hack of 1,400 Users to NSO Group Technology
Citizen Lab senior researcher John Scott-Railton discusses why WhatsApp is suing NSO Group after discovering their spyware was used to target 1,400 users—100 of whom were members of civil society—and why this is a significant bellwether.
New York Times: WhatsApp Says Israeli Firm Used Its App in Spy Program
As part of our investigation into the incident, Citizen Lab has identified over 100 cases of abusive targeting of human rights defenders and journalists in at least 20 countries across the globe, ranging from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America that took place after Novalpina Capital acquired NSO Group and began an ongoing public relations campaign to promote the narrative that the new ownership would curb abuses.
Access My Info: How a Team of Researchers Investigated Data Access Rights around the World
Using the AMI approach, partners have launched projects around the world, including in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Korea. These projects focused on making data access requests to telecommunications companies in each country, led by a local researcher and a team of volunteers. Every country has specific laws, regulations, and corporate mechanisms that present unique challenges and opportunities in accessing data, but the results of each provide insights into the larger ecosystem of data access.
CLSI 2019 in Review
CLSI brings together academics, researchers, activists, and frontline workers and asks them to address some of the most pressing issues at the intersection of digital security and human rights.
Forbes: Androids And iPhones Hacked With Just One WhatsApp Click — And Tibetans Are Under Assault
Between November 2018 and May 2019, we observed intrusion attempts against individuals from the Private Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Central Tibetan Administration, the Tibetan Parliament, and Tibetan human rights groups.
Annotated Bibliography: Dual-Use Technologies: Network Traffic Management and Device Intrusion for Targeted Monitoring
This document provides a high-level introduction to deep packet inspection, Internet filtering, and targeted intrusion dual-use technologies with the aim of familizaring the reader with their key technical features, the surrounding international human rights law framework, and some of the leading research to date on their deployment.