Counterintelligence for civil society

Investigating novel threats to democracy, human rights, and global security in the digital ecosystem.

Bad Connection

Uncovering Global Telecom Exploitation by Covert Surveillance Actors

Targeted Surveillance

Our investigation uncovers two sophisticated telecom surveillance campaigns and, for the first time, links real-world attack traffic to mobile operator signalling infrastructure. The findings expose how suspected commercial surveillance vendors (CSVs) exploit the global telecom interconnect ecosystem, leverage private operator networks, and conduct covert location tracking operations that can persist undetected for years.

April 23, 2026

Uncovering Webloc

An Analysis of Penlink’s Ad-based Geolocation Surveillance Tech

Mass SurveillanceTargeted Surveillance

Location data collected from mobile apps and digital advertising can reveal habits, interests and almost any other aspect of someone’s life. In this report, we uncover how a geolocation surveillance system called Webloc uses ad-based data to monitor hundreds of millions of people across the globe.

April 9, 2026

From Protest to Peril

Cellebrite Used Against Jordanian Civil Society

Targeted Surveillance

Through a multi-year investigation, we find that the Jordanian security apparatus has deployed forensic extraction products manufactured by Cellebrite against civil society devices. We release these findings alongside reporting from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) which includes interviews with a few of the victims.

January 22, 2026

Counterintelligence for civil society

Investigating novel threats to democracy, human rights, and global security in the digital ecosystem.

Counterintelligence for civil society

Investigating novel threats to democracy, human rights, and global security in the digital ecosystem.

Bad Connection

Uncovering Global Telecom Exploitation by Covert Surveillance Actors

Targeted Surveillance

Our investigation uncovers two sophisticated telecom surveillance campaigns and, for the first time, links real-world attack traffic to mobile operator signalling infrastructure. The findings expose how suspected commercial surveillance vendors (CSVs) exploit the global telecom interconnect ecosystem, leverage private operator networks, and conduct covert location tracking operations that can persist undetected for years.

April 23, 2026

Read the full report

Uncovering Webloc

An Analysis of Penlink’s Ad-based Geolocation Surveillance Tech

Mass SurveillanceTargeted Surveillance

Location data collected from mobile apps and digital advertising can reveal habits, interests and almost any other aspect of someone’s life. In this report, we uncover how a geolocation surveillance system called Webloc uses ad-based data to monitor hundreds of millions of people across the globe.

April 9, 2026

Read the full report

From Protest to Peril

Cellebrite Used Against Jordanian Civil Society

Targeted Surveillance

Through a multi-year investigation, we find that the Jordanian security apparatus has deployed forensic extraction products manufactured by Cellebrite against civil society devices. We release these findings alongside reporting from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) which includes interviews with a few of the victims.

January 22, 2026

Read the full report

The Citizen Lab is an interdisciplinary research unit at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto. We apply our collective expertise in the fields of law, computer science, cybersecurity, political science, and social sciences to investigate complex issues of the 21st century.

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Explore focus areas

App Security & Privacy
Artificial Intelligence
Censorship
Digital Transnational Repression
Disinformation
Law & Policy
Mass Surveillance
Targeted Surveillance

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Recent news

In the Media

Edmonton Police Trial AI Facial Recognition Bodycams

CBC

The Edmonton Police Service is trialing new bodycam facial recognition technology to identify what they have deemed “high-risk offenders.” Speaking to the CBC, senior research associate Kate Robertson says, “As someone who has been studying algorithmic policing technologies for nearly a decade, and [previously] a lawyer in Canada’s justice system, I have to say that […]

April 23, 2026
Law & Policy
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