In April 2025, Ronald Deibert, a man whose very profession makes him a marked individual in the digital age, meticulously planned his journey. Leaving all his electronic devices at home in Toronto, a strategic decision born from years of confronting digital adversaries, he boarded a plane. Upon landing in Illinois, he bypassed familiar comforts, opting for a taxi to a bustling mall. His destination: an Apple Store. There, he purchased a brand-new laptop and iPhone, each device a clean slate, untainted by any potential digital breadcrumbs from his personal life. This was not an act of paranoia, but a calculated necessity. Deibert understood that his work as a relentless investigator of digital abuses made him a prime target for surveillance, and his words, "I’m traveling under the assumption that I am being watched, right down to exactly where I am at any moment," underscored the pervasive reality of his operational environment.

Ronald Deibert is the driving force behind the Citizen Lab, a pioneering research center he founded in 2001 with a singular, ambitious vision: to serve as "counterintelligence for civil society." Nestled within the venerable halls of the University of Toronto, the lab operates with a fierce independence, resolutely eschewing the influence of governments or corporate interests. Its financial sustenance flows from a delicate ecosystem of research grants and private philanthropy, a testament to its commitment to impartiality. In a landscape often dominated by vested interests, the Citizen Lab stands as a rare bastion, dedicated exclusively to investigating cyberthreats in the public interest. Through its rigorous and often groundbreaking work, it has illuminated some of the most egregious digital abuses that have stained the past two decades, holding powerful actors accountable in the shadows of the internet.

For many years, Deibert and his colleagues at Citizen Lab held up the United States as the zenith of liberal democracy, a beacon of freedom and open discourse. However, Deibert observes a disquieting shift, a palpable erosion of these democratic ideals. "The pillars of democracy are under assault in the United States," he states with a somber gravity. "For many decades, in spite of its flaws, it has upheld norms about what constitutional democracy looks like or should aspire to. [That] is now at risk." This sentiment, a stark departure from past affirmations, reflects a deep concern for the trajectory of democratic institutions globally.

Even as some of his fellow Canadians harbored reservations about traveling to the United States following Donald Trump’s second election, Deibert saw it as an opportunity, a chance to witness firsthand the evolving landscape of digital freedom and its challenges. His visit was not merely academic; it was a mission. Alongside crucial meetings with human rights defenders, he meticulously documented instances of active surveillance at Columbia University during the peak of its student protests. He observed drones hovering ominously above campus and noted the unusually stringent security protocols, a stark contrast to the open academic environment he had come to expect. "It was unorthodox to go to the United States," he admits, yet his inherent drive to confront and understand complex global problems propelled him forward. "But I really gravitate toward problems in the world."

Ronald Deibert, now 61, traces his origins to East Vancouver, British Columbia, a locale imbued with a gritty authenticity and a vibrant countercultural spirit. Growing up in the 1970s, a time when Vancouver served as a haven for draft dodgers and hippies, Deibert found his intellectual compass set by the revelations of American investigative journalism. The exposure of programs like COINTELPRO, the publication of the Pentagon Papers, and the Watergate scandal all served as formative influences, planting seeds of respect for antiestablishment sentiment and the power of uncovering hidden truths. He never envisioned that this fascination would blossom into a lifelong career, particularly given his humble beginnings. "My horizons were pretty low because I came from a working-class family, and there weren’t many people in my family—in fact, none—who went on to university," he recalls, underscoring the societal barriers he transcended.

His academic journey eventually led him to a graduate program in international relations at the University of British Columbia. It was during his doctoral research that he stumbled upon a field poised for explosive growth: the geopolitical implications of the nascent internet. "In my field, there were a handful of people beginning to talk about the internet, but it was very shallow, and that frustrated me," he explains. "And meanwhile, computer science was very technical, but not political—[politics] was almost like a dirty word." Deibert’s prescience lay in his ability to bridge this chasm, recognizing the profound political and social ramifications of this burgeoning technology, a perspective largely overlooked by both traditional political science and the technically focused computer science disciplines of the era.

He continued to delve into these uncharted territories upon his appointment to a tenure-track professorship at the University of Toronto. However, it was the founding of the Citizen Lab in 2001 that truly propelled his work onto the global stage, transforming it from academic inquiry into impactful action.

The Citizen Lab’s ascent to international prominence, Deibert credits largely to its landmark 2009 report, "Tracking GhostNet." This groundbreaking investigation unveiled a sophisticated digital espionage network originating in China, which had systematically infiltrated the offices of foreign embassies and diplomats across more than 100 countries, including the sensitive offices of the Dalai Lama. The "GhostNet" report, along with its crucial follow-up in 2010, marked one of the earliest instances of publicly exposing real-time cybersurveillance operations. Since then, the lab has published an impressive portfolio of over 180 similar analyses, earning widespread acclaim from a diverse array of human rights advocates, from the celebrated author Margaret Atwood to the iconic whistleblower Edward Snowden.

The lab’s unwavering commitment to scrutinizing authoritarian regimes worldwide has placed Deibert and his team squarely in the crosshairs of powerful states. Deibert candidly admits that both Russia and China maintain a "list" that bars his entry into their territories. Citizen Lab’s research has not only exposed widespread surveillance but has also had tangible consequences. The group was the first to uncover the use of commercial spyware against individuals close to Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi dissident and Washington Post journalist, in the lead-up to his assassination. This critical research has directly influenced G7 and UN resolutions addressing digital repression and has led to sanctions against spyware vendors. Yet, the fight for digital freedom is a constant battle, as evidenced by the reactivation in 2025 of a $2 million contract between US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the spyware vendor Paragon. This contract, previously placed under a stop-work order by the Biden administration, mirrors similar deployments of domestic spyware by governments in Europe and Israel to address perceived security concerns, highlighting a complex and evolving global challenge.

Cindy Cohn, the executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), eloquently articulates the profound impact of the Citizen Lab’s work: "It saves lives, quite literally." She further elaborates, "The Citizen Lab [researchers] were the first to really focus on technical attacks on human rights activists and democracy activists all around the world. And they’re still the best at it." This high praise underscores the lab’s unique position at the forefront of defending digital rights and exposing state-sponsored cyber abuses.

When it comes to recruiting new members for the Citizen Lab, affectionately known as "Labbers," Deibert eschews the conventional academic mold. Instead, he seeks out brilliant, unconventional individuals, many of whom have personally experienced the sting of repression from the very regimes the lab now investigates. Noura Aljizawi, a researcher specializing in digital repression, is a prime example. Having survived torture at the hands of the al-Assad regime in Syria, she now dedicates her expertise to understanding the distinct threats digital technologies pose to women and queer individuals, particularly when wielded against exiled nationals. Her commitment to empowering individuals is further demonstrated by her co-creation of Security Planner, an invaluable tool that offers personalized, expert-reviewed guidance for improving digital hygiene. Her innovative contributions earned her an Excellence Through Innovation Award from the University of Toronto.

The inherent risks associated with the lab’s work are undeniable. Elies Campo, a Citizen Lab fellow, experienced firsthand the intrusive nature of surveillance after the lab published a pivotal 2022 report exposing the digital monitoring of numerous Catalonian citizens and members of parliament, including four former presidents who were targeted during or after their terms. Campo was followed and photographed, a chilling reminder of the dangers faced by those who shine a light on clandestine operations.

Despite these risks, the Citizen Lab’s stellar reputation and its vital mission make recruitment remarkably effective, Deibert notes. "This good work attracts a certain type of person," he says. "But they’re usually also drawn to the sleuthing. It’s detective work, and that can be highly intoxicating—even addictive." This blend of noble purpose and intellectual challenge creates a powerful allure for those dedicated to uncovering digital malfeasance.

Deibert consistently deflects the spotlight, emphasizing the collective efforts of his team. He rarely discusses the lab’s achievements without acknowledging the significant contributions of senior researchers Bill Marczak and John Scott-Railton, alongside other dedicated staff members. This ethos of shared success extends even to those who depart the lab for new opportunities. "We have a saying: Once a Labber, always a Labber," Deibert affirms, highlighting the enduring sense of community and shared purpose within the Citizen Lab.

During his time in the US, Deibert actively engaged with academic institutions, teaching a seminar on the Citizen Lab’s work to undergraduates at Northwestern University and delivering insightful lectures on digital authoritarianism at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Universities in the US had been grappling with funding cuts and intensified scrutiny from the Trump administration, and Deibert saw his presence as an opportunity to be "in the mix," directly confronting what he perceived as encroaching authoritarian practices by the US government.

Since Deibert’s return to Canada, the Citizen Lab has continued its vital work of unearthing digital threats to civil society across the globe. However, Deibert now finds himself scrutinizing the United States, a nation that was once his benchmark for democracy but has now become a subject of his critical analysis. "I do not believe that an institution like the Citizen Lab could exist right now in the United States," he states with profound concern. "The type of research that we pioneered is under threat like never before."

He is particularly alarmed by the increasing pressures being exerted on federal oversight bodies and academic institutions within the US. As an example, he points to the defunding in September of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, a government organization tasked with preventing waste, fraud, and abuse within federal agencies, under the pretext of partisanship concerns. The White House has also issued threats to freeze federal funding for universities that fail to comply with administration directives concerning gender, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and campus speech. Deibert argues that these actions fundamentally undermine the independence of crucial watchdogs and research groups like the Citizen Lab.

Cindy Cohn of the EFF echoes this sentiment, suggesting that the Citizen Lab’s base in Canada provides a crucial sanctuary, allowing it to operate largely free from the escalating attacks on institutions that provide vital accountability. "Having the Citizen Lab based in Toronto and able to continue to do its work largely free of the things we’re seeing in the US," she concludes, "could end up being tremendously important if we’re going to return to a place of the rule of law and protection of human rights and liberties." The Citizen Lab’s continued work, shielded by its Canadian location, may indeed prove to be a critical bulwark in the ongoing global struggle for digital freedom and democratic integrity.