Counterintelligence for civil society

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

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

We Say You Want a Revolution

PRISONBREAK – An AI-Enabled Influence Operation Aimed at Overthrowing the Iranian Regime

Disinformation

The control and strategic manipulation of information has long played a role in the geopolitical and ideological competition between the Islamic Republic of Iran and its political adversaries, including Israel. Prior Citizen Lab research has uncovered Iranian disinformation efforts, however, in this investigation we focus on the “other side” of the geopolitical competition. We analyzed an influence operation we assess as most likely undertaken by an entity of the Israeli government or a private subcontractor working closely with it.

October 14, 2025

Same Sea, New Phish

Russian Government-Linked Social Engineering Targets App-Specific Passwords

Targeted Surveillance

In May 2025, Keir Giles, a well-known expert on Russian military operations, was targeted with a highly sophisticated and personalized phishing attack. Using a method not previously observed by the Citizen Lab, the attacker posed as a U.S. State Department employee to convince Mr. Giles to create and send app-specific passwords for his email accounts, bypassing multi-factor authentication. Google spotted and blocked the attack, attributing it to a Russian state-backed operator.

June 18, 2025

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.

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

We Say You Want a Revolution

PRISONBREAK – An AI-Enabled Influence Operation Aimed at Overthrowing the Iranian Regime

Disinformation

The control and strategic manipulation of information has long played a role in the geopolitical and ideological competition between the Islamic Republic of Iran and its political adversaries, including Israel. Prior Citizen Lab research has uncovered Iranian disinformation efforts, however, in this investigation we focus on the “other side” of the geopolitical competition. We analyzed an influence operation we assess as most likely undertaken by an entity of the Israeli government or a private subcontractor working closely with it.

October 14, 2025

Read the full report

Same Sea, New Phish

Russian Government-Linked Social Engineering Targets App-Specific Passwords

Targeted Surveillance

In May 2025, Keir Giles, a well-known expert on Russian military operations, was targeted with a highly sophisticated and personalized phishing attack. Using a method not previously observed by the Citizen Lab, the attacker posed as a U.S. State Department employee to convince Mr. Giles to create and send app-specific passwords for his email accounts, bypassing multi-factor authentication. Google spotted and blocked the attack, attributing it to a Russian state-backed operator.

June 18, 2025

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

Event

Moving Beyond the Given

The Politics of Categories and Subjectivity in Indonesia
Happening on March 13, 2026

This event is hosted by the Association for Asian Studies Registration is required On March 13, join senior researcher Irene Poetranto as she speaks on the “Moving Beyond the Given: The Politics of Categories and Subjectivity in Indonesia” panel at the Association for Asian Studies 2026 conference in Vancouver.  The discussion will focus on the use […]

Censorship Targeted Surveillance
In the Media

Want the Federal Government to Hear Your Thoughts on AI?

New Consultation Launched
CBC

Citizen Lab senior fellow Cynthia Khoo spoke with the CBC about the People’s Consultation on AI, launched by a civil society coalition last week in response to the federal government’s “national sprint” on AI. The independent initiative decries the short timeline of the “mad 30-day rush” to inform national policy and its overreliance on industry […]

January 28, 2026
Artificial Intelligence Law & Policy
News

People’s Consultation on AI Now Accepting Submissions

In October 2025, Citizen Lab researchers and director Ron Deibert signed an open letter to the Canadian Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and the Minister of Industry rejecting the “National Sprint” on AI strategy and announcing  a then-forthcoming independent “People’s Consultation on AI.”  The independent consultation is now accepting submissions until March 15, […]

January 26, 2026
Artificial Intelligence
Submission

Perpetrators and Methods of Transnational Repression and Possible Counter Strategies

EU Parliament

Citizen Lab senior research associate Emile Dirks will be attending a meeting on transnational repression (TNR) at the EU Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs on January 28, during which Nate Schenkkan (lead author, independent researcher), Zselyke Csaky (senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform), Alexander Dukalskis (Assistant Professor at University College Dublin at […]

January 26, 2026
Digital Transnational Repression
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