We are an academic research unit at the University of Toronto investigating novel threats to democracy, human rights, and global security in the digital ecosystem.
The Citizen Lab
Senior researcher Luis Fernando García participated in a Conversatorio Regional hosted by @FViaLibre on “Technologies of state surveillance, democratic control, and protection of civil space.” Watch here: www.youtube.com/live/QkpW72p....
🧵Remember PAPERWALL, the sprawling disinfo network we @citizenlab.ca exposed in 2024 as run by a Chinese firm, Haimai? 2 full years later, it's still very active and expanding. In its quest to cover the whole globe, it is now focusing also on Australia, New Zealand, and India. Readers? Still zero.
New joint publication by @citizenlab.ca + @cancivlib.bsky.social! In which @kate-ro.bsky.social & I join forces w/ Tamir @digitalprivacy.ca to explain the federal govt's many... "(Un)forced Errors: Analysis of Proposed Surveillance Law Expansion under Bill C-22, An Act respecting lawful access" 🧵1/x
It was a real pleasure to speak with Phoebe Fronista of iMEdD about the work of the @citizenlab.ca while in Athens, Greece
"Surveillance capitalism, counterintelligence for civil society, and journalism: a conversation with Citizen Lab’s founder"
lab.imedd.org/en/surveilla...
Citizen Lab researchers and director @rondeibert.bsky.social signed an open letter to the Parliament of Canada calling for the full withdrawal of Bill C-22: openmedia.org/press/item/c...
"We believe students aren’t protesting for a very simple reason: They are afraid. They are self-censoring and disengaging from campaign activism to avoid punitive measures," says senior research fellow Jon Penney @penney.bsky.social in his new essay for @theconversation.com.
Senior fellow @cyn-k.bsky.social writes that Canada’s new AI strategy is reorienting democratic functions “around the false god of AI” in @thewalrus.ca : thewalrus.ca/canada-ai-pl...
Senior research associate @kate-ro.bsky.social writes for @thewalrus.ca about the potential implications of Canada’s proposed Bill C-22 for future data-sharing agreements with foreign law enforcement agencies.
thewalrus.ca/trump-wants-...
Doctoral fellow Swantje Lange @swantjelan.bsky.social spoke with the Hasso Plattner Institut @hpi.bsky.social about sophisticated surveillance campaigns being used to exploit mobile networks, sharing that “the mobile network is highly opaque and extremely complex.”
hpi.de/en/article/r...
As part of World Press Freedom Day 2026, @sanstis.bsky.social will be speaking on a webinar titled “Media Under Attack,” part of @fpcthinktank.bsky.social “Media Freedom Under Threat” series.
Register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
The founder and director of the University of Toronto’s renowned Citizen Lab sat down with iMEdD in Athens to talk about the crisis he perceives in liberal democracy and the future of digital spyware.
A network of at least 123 websites operated from within the People’s Republic of China while posing as local news outlets in 30 countries across Europe, Asia, and Latin America, disseminates pro-Beiji...
We asked researchers, entrepreneurs, and policy analysts to read the plan so you don’t have to. They found plenty to worry about
This submission analyzes Bill C-22, the Lawful Access Act, which would enact broad surveillance obligations and reforms in Canada. Issues include: the bill’s sweeping scope, significant constitutional...
Bruce Schneier (@schneier.com) and I have a new essay in @theconversation.com on the Trump administration's strategy of weaponizing law, technology, & surveillance to chill protest, dissent, & political opposition.
In short, the chilling effects are the point.
theconversation.com/chilling-eff...
Jon Penney
A persistent government strategy to sow fear through punitive measures has corroded freedom and democracy.
