In March 2024, Emile Dirks, research associate at The Citizen Lab, along with Ausma Bernot (Griffith University), and Yves Moreau (University of Leuven) prepared a written submission in response to the United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights call for input on the application of digital technologies in the administration of justice. 

The Information Controls Fellowship Program (ICFP) from the Open Technology Fund (OTF) fosters research, outputs, and creative collaboration on repressive Internet censorship and surveillance issues. We welcome proposals from fellowship candidates for research projects related to our current thematic areas.

On December 14, 2024, Cynthia Khoo, senior fellow at The Citizen Lab, participated in a CPAC Town Hall in Ottawa on Online Harms and Cyberbullying. Khoo emphasized that regulating online abuse is essential to protecting freedom of expression, particularly for marginalized communities. She explained that many individuals subjected to harassment, hate speech, and online threats… Read more »

In a talk at the Objective by the Sea – security conference in Hawaii, Bill Marczak, a senior researcher at The Citizen Lab, and Microsoft’s Christine Fossaceca provided an in-depth analysis of the discovery of QuaDreams’ spyware technology. In April 2023, we published a report that described an Israeli spyware vendor’s technology that was used… Read more »

A new documentary from HBO takes a deep dive into the world of surveillance technology and its impact on privacy, security, and human rights.

In this episode of Zoom In Zoom Out on TaiwanPlus, Rebekah Brown, senior researcher at The Citizen Lab, speaks with reporter Herel Hughes to unpack the alarming rise of commercial spyware and its misuse across the globe.

Ron Deibert and Noura Aljizawi join CBC chief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault to discuss the growing issue of foreign governments’ threats and intimidation targeting exiled women activists and dissidents living in Canada.

The Citizen Lab’s director Ron Deibert and senior researcher John Scott-Railton co-signed an open letter spearheaded by Access Now, calling on Sandvine to publicly commit to upholding the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and to strengthen oversight and transparency of the company’s announced reforms. On October 31, 2024, Access Now, along… Read more »

In the latest episode of the Distilling Cyber Policy podcast, Alex Botting and Jen Ellis from the Center for Cybersecurity Policy & Law are joined by Rebekah Brown and John Scott-Railton, senior researchers at the Citizen Lab. Together, they discuss the Citizen Lab’s “Rivers of Phish” report on sophisticated phishing targeting Russia’s perceived adversaries. The report was a collaborative investigation with Access Now alongside civil society organizations First Department, Arjuna Team, and RESIDENT.ngo.

In order to pursue justice against spyware manufacturers such as the NSO Group and the governments that use this technology, victims must overcome significant legal challenges. Speaking with CyberScoop, John Scott-Railton, senior researcher at The Citizen Lab, discusses the challenges surrounding litigation, U.S. laws, and jurisdictional issues for victims seeking remedies.