Digital transnational repression arises when governments use digital technologies to surveil, intimidate and silence exiled dissidents and diaspora communities. It is part of the broader practice of transnational repression, which refers to states using methods such as harassment, coercion-by-proxy, kidnapping, and assassination attempts, in order to control dissent outside their territories. Digital transnational repression has emerged as a critical area of concern in the context of digital threats against human rights, shrinking civic space, and authoritarian interference in democratic societies. The Citizen Lab’s research explores the methods and impacts of digital transnational repression.
Building upon our prior research and the contributions of other scholars to this field, the aim of this novel study is to understand the security risks and harms caused by digital transnational repression against exiled and diaspora women human rights defenders.
Based on interviews with exiled and diaspora women, our report describes gendered aspects of the threats women face, the harassment experienced by them and the prevalent tactics used by governments.
هذه الوثيقة هي ترجمة غير رسمية لأجزاء مختارة من التقرير، ولا سيما المقدمة، وملخص رفيع المستوى لنتائجنا، وتوصياتنا المتعلقة بالسياسات. وهي ليست ترجمة كاملة للتقرير، وباعتبارها ترجمة غير رسمية، فقد تفتقر إلى الدقة في بعض أجزائها. لا تهدف هذه الترجمة إلا إلى تقديم فهم عام لأبحاثنا. وفي حالة وجود أي تباين أو غموض، يتم الاحتكام… Read more »
In an article published by the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, Citizen Lab senior researcher Noura Aljizawi discusses the leak of personal data of Syrian refugees in Türkiye and the severe impact on their lives.
Join The Citizen Lab and the UC Berkeley Centre for Long-Term Cybersecurity for a webinar where researchers Noura Al-Jizawi, Gözde Böcü, and Nicola Lawford will present their research, “Enhancing Cybersecurity Resilience for Transnational Dissidents.”
Activists and dissidents living in Canada are impacted by digital transnational repression (DTR) – a tool used by authoritarian governments to continue to harass and intimidate individuals online, even after leaving their country of origin. Join this online event hosted by the Montreal Institute of Genocide and Human Rights Studies (MIGS), where the Citizen Lab’s… Read more »
In response to the United Nations’ call for input to the report of the Special Rapporteur, we made a submission underlining the challenges faced by women human rights defenders (WHRDs) who live in exile or in the diaspora, and the threats they encounter.
