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.

This campaign is the first documented case of one-click mobile exploits used to target Tibetan groups, and reflects an escalation in the sophistication of digital espionage threats targeting the community.

This year, Citizen Lab researchers will present on issues ranging from WeChat image filtering to the methodologies used for identifying commercial spyware abuses.

What makes a good CLSI Session? The purpose of CLSI is to be an interactive, participant-led workshop that leads to tangible outcomes. The session description should present the problem/issue being examined, the kinds of data that will be used in the session, and description of the current state of the project or activity. Objectives should… Read more »

UPDATE: The 2019 Citizen Lab Summer Institute will take place on July 31-August 2 at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Canada. The Citizen Lab Summer Institute (CLSI) provides a unique opportunity to meet a diverse group of researchers, practitioners, and advocates and develop new and exciting research that addresses pressing questions for the Internet…. Read more »

本报告延续上一篇针对微信朋友圈图片过滤技术的研究，分析微信如何在聊天功能中实现实时图片过滤。微信是中国腾讯控股有限公司旗下的即时通讯应用，目前是中国最受欢迎的聊天软件之一，也是全球排名第四的最流行聊天软件。朋友圈是微信上最常用的功能之一，其中图片是用户最期望看到的内容分享形式。

In this work, we study how Tencent implements image filtering on WeChat. We found that Tencent implements realtime, automatic censorship of chat images on WeChat based on what text is in an image and based on an image’s visual similarity to those on a blacklist. Tencent facilitates this realtime filtering by maintaining a hash index of MD5 hashes of sensitive image files.

In recent days, United Nations Special Rapporteurs have released two revelatory reports that demonstrate the dangerous effects of unchecked technology in the hands of autocrats: one relating to the proliferation and abuse of surveillance software and one that investigates the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Both reports highlight the danger of unaccountable and unregulated surveillance technology sold to countries with egregious human rights records.

UPDATE: The 2019 Citizen Lab Summer Institute will take place on July 31-August 2 at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Canada. The annual Citizen Lab Summer Institute (CLSI) workshop is a meeting place for researchers and practitioners from academia, civil society, and the private sector who are working on Internet openness, security, and rights…. Read more »

18 June 2019 Dear Yana and Stephen Peel, We write to you in light of recent reporting indicating that you both own a stake in Novalpina Capital LLP. As Yana Peel has recently expressed that she believes criticism of NSO Group is “misinformed,” we thought it appropriate to specifically draw Ms. Peel’s attention to the… Read more »