The UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, Ms. Dubravka Šimonović, recently released her draft report to the Human Rights Council on online violence against women and girls from a human rights perspective. The Special Rapporteur’s report includes many key insights from the Citizen Lab’s formal response on this issue last fall and echoes many of our sixteen key recommendations.

Doctoral candidate Jennie Phillips recently published an article in International Development Planning Review. Based on work she conducted while at the Citizen Lab, “Risk in a digital age: understanding risk in virtual networks through digital response networks (DRNs)” explores risk understanding by investigating the inherent risk and resilience of DRNs.

Today, Director Ron Deibert on behalf of the Citizen Lab sent a letter to the National Energy Board (NEB) raising critical questions and concerns in response to the NEB issuing a Request for Information (RFI) about “security threat monitoring services”.

In Mexico, government-exclusive spyware technology is being used to target journalists, human rights defenders, anti-corruption advocates, and international investigators. Luis Fernando Garcia, Director of R3D, explains how technology meant to track terrorists is being turned against activists

The Citizen Lab has sent an open letter to Francisco Partners requesting an update on our March report concerning Sandvine, as well as the reported interest in a sale of NSO Group to Verint Systems, and Francisco Partners’ investment practices more generally. Verint has reportedly offered Francisco Partners approximately USD $1 billion in Verint stock and assumed debt… Read more »

Critical analysis and insight that navigates the complex implications of ongoing encryption debates.

If you’re attending RightsCon, you’ll be in good company. Held this year in Toronto from May 16-18, the conference brings together an international audience to discuss all topics related to human rights in the digital age. Citizen Lab researchers, fellows, and associates will be participating in panels and events throughout the week. Here’s a run-down… Read more »

In light of Citizen Lab’s recent report which showed that Canadian technology is being used to block LGBTQ2 content in several countries around the world, Citizen Lab director Ron Deibert has penned a letter to MP Randy Boissonnault, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on LGBTQ2 Issues. Planet Netsweeper revealed that Netsweeper– a company based in Waterloo,… Read more »

The report reveals that the Canadian company’s web filtering products are being used in 30 countries around the world, including 10 where human rights concerns are acute.