Marcus Michaelsen
@mmichae1sen.bsky.social
Researching digital tech, human rights & authoritarian politics @citizenlab.ca. https://marcusmichaelsen.eu/
Pinned
NEW REPORT: We investigate the rising trend of gender-based digital transnational repression by drawing on the lived experiences of 85 women human rights defenders living in exile across the globe.
Read the full report: citizenlab.ca/2024/12/the-...
Read the full report: citizenlab.ca/2024/12/the-...
No Escape: The Weaponization of Gender for the Purposes of Digital Transnational Repression - The Citizen Lab
Building upon our prior research and the contributions of other scholars to this field, the aim of this novel study is to understand the security risks and harms caused by digital transnational repres...
citizenlab.ca
More than two years in the making and the final result is amazing: our new report on digital transnational repression against women human rights defenders in exile. Discover how authoritarian regimes weaponize gender to target women activists and journalists abroad.
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
What used to be bugs and informants is now #spyware. Bringing together victims of #Stasi surveillance and #spyware to discuss: How can we protect #freedom in the digital age?
🗓️ November 12, 18:30
#BerlinFreedomWeek
Register here 👇
www.berlin-freedom-week.com/en/event/sta...
🗓️ November 12, 18:30
#BerlinFreedomWeek
Register here 👇
www.berlin-freedom-week.com/en/event/sta...
November 11, 2025 at 1:17 PM
What used to be bugs and informants is now #spyware. Bringing together victims of #Stasi surveillance and #spyware to discuss: How can we protect #freedom in the digital age?
🗓️ November 12, 18:30
#BerlinFreedomWeek
Register here 👇
www.berlin-freedom-week.com/en/event/sta...
🗓️ November 12, 18:30
#BerlinFreedomWeek
Register here 👇
www.berlin-freedom-week.com/en/event/sta...
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
Was früher Wanzen & Spitzel waren, ist heute #Spyware. Wie schützt man #Freiheit im digitalen Zeitalter?
🗓️ 12.11., 18:30 Uhr #BerlinFreedomWeek
Infos & Anmeldung 👇
www.berlin-freedom-week.com/event/von-st...
🗓️ 12.11., 18:30 Uhr #BerlinFreedomWeek
Infos & Anmeldung 👇
www.berlin-freedom-week.com/event/von-st...
October 27, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Was früher Wanzen & Spitzel waren, ist heute #Spyware. Wie schützt man #Freiheit im digitalen Zeitalter?
🗓️ 12.11., 18:30 Uhr #BerlinFreedomWeek
Infos & Anmeldung 👇
www.berlin-freedom-week.com/event/von-st...
🗓️ 12.11., 18:30 Uhr #BerlinFreedomWeek
Infos & Anmeldung 👇
www.berlin-freedom-week.com/event/von-st...
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
Today’s WhatsApp v NSO injunction is a BIG DEAL & may essentially kill Pegasus spyware *as we know it.*
To comply, NSO would have to ensure that their spyware cannot access WhatsApp messages or break WhatsApp’s encryption.
This means that NSO can no longer offer “unlimited” access to victims’ 📱s
To comply, NSO would have to ensure that their spyware cannot access WhatsApp messages or break WhatsApp’s encryption.
This means that NSO can no longer offer “unlimited” access to victims’ 📱s
October 18, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Today’s WhatsApp v NSO injunction is a BIG DEAL & may essentially kill Pegasus spyware *as we know it.*
To comply, NSO would have to ensure that their spyware cannot access WhatsApp messages or break WhatsApp’s encryption.
This means that NSO can no longer offer “unlimited” access to victims’ 📱s
To comply, NSO would have to ensure that their spyware cannot access WhatsApp messages or break WhatsApp’s encryption.
This means that NSO can no longer offer “unlimited” access to victims’ 📱s
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
Article ALERT:
doi.org/10.1080/1058...
Towards the Comparative Study of Domestic Influence Operations: Cyber Troops and Elite Competition in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand – Political Communication
How do domestic online influence operations vary across countries, and why?🧵
doi.org/10.1080/1058...
Towards the Comparative Study of Domestic Influence Operations: Cyber Troops and Elite Competition in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand – Political Communication
How do domestic online influence operations vary across countries, and why?🧵
Towards the Comparative Study of Domestic Influence Operations: Cyber Troops and Elite Competition in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand
Online influence operations (IO) are typically studied as isolated cases, often independent of their political context. In this study, based on 78 in-depth interviews with industry insiders, we exp...
doi.org
October 16, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Article ALERT:
doi.org/10.1080/1058...
Towards the Comparative Study of Domestic Influence Operations: Cyber Troops and Elite Competition in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand – Political Communication
How do domestic online influence operations vary across countries, and why?🧵
doi.org/10.1080/1058...
Towards the Comparative Study of Domestic Influence Operations: Cyber Troops and Elite Competition in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand – Political Communication
How do domestic online influence operations vary across countries, and why?🧵
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
The deportation of pro-democracy dissidents to their home countries is a major reversal of years of U.S. policymaking on a topic that had bipartisan support.
Trump Is Supporting Transnational Repression
Instead of sheltering pro-democracy dissidents, America is now returning them for arrest.
foreignpolicy.com
October 11, 2025 at 7:30 PM
The deportation of pro-democracy dissidents to their home countries is a major reversal of years of U.S. policymaking on a topic that had bipartisan support.
As the US shifts from fighting transnational repression to facilitating it, Europe needs to step up: condemn Trumps actions and provide shelter for dissidents fleeing authoritarianism. Great piece by @nateschenkkan.bsky.social
New from me in @foreignpolicy.com: how the US has gone from leading a global push against transnational repression, to proactively supporting it:
foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/08/t...
foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/08/t...
Trump Is Supporting Transnational Repression
Instead of sheltering pro-democracy dissidents, America is now returning them for arrest.
foreignpolicy.com
October 9, 2025 at 7:12 AM
As the US shifts from fighting transnational repression to facilitating it, Europe needs to step up: condemn Trumps actions and provide shelter for dissidents fleeing authoritarianism. Great piece by @nateschenkkan.bsky.social
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
NEW: Since October 2023, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit has released dozens of 3D animations illustrating alleged Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iranian sites
The style is now unmistakable: satellite zoom-ins, black & white wireframes, and red-textured houses - a new visual language of war
The style is now unmistakable: satellite zoom-ins, black & white wireframes, and red-textured houses - a new visual language of war
October 8, 2025 at 4:58 PM
NEW: Since October 2023, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit has released dozens of 3D animations illustrating alleged Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iranian sites
The style is now unmistakable: satellite zoom-ins, black & white wireframes, and red-textured houses - a new visual language of war
The style is now unmistakable: satellite zoom-ins, black & white wireframes, and red-textured houses - a new visual language of war
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
During the Iran-Israel war, civilians in Iran had little access to trustworthy information. AI deepfakes circulated online exacerbated this situation. What are the implications?
@mahsaalimardani.bsky.social and @samgregory.bsky.social explained:
@mahsaalimardani.bsky.social and @samgregory.bsky.social explained:
Iran-Israel AI War Propaganda Is a Warning to the World
The war signaled critical challenges in the growing gap between the sophistication of AI deception and analysts’ ability to detect it, heralding a frightening new phase in global conflict.
buff.ly
August 4, 2025 at 1:26 PM
During the Iran-Israel war, civilians in Iran had little access to trustworthy information. AI deepfakes circulated online exacerbated this situation. What are the implications?
@mahsaalimardani.bsky.social and @samgregory.bsky.social explained:
@mahsaalimardani.bsky.social and @samgregory.bsky.social explained:
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
1/Citizen Lab’s new report on PRISONBREAK is a must-read. It exposes an AI-enabled influence operation targeting Iran with deceptive media, from the infamous Evin Prison gates video to deepfake music.
October 3, 2025 at 9:03 AM
1/Citizen Lab’s new report on PRISONBREAK is a must-read. It exposes an AI-enabled influence operation targeting Iran with deceptive media, from the infamous Evin Prison gates video to deepfake music.
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
1/ NEW REPORT: “We Say You Want a Revolution” - An AI-Enabled Influence Operation Aimed at Overthrowing the Iranian Regime. We call it PRISONBREAK. Keep reading to find out why.
THREAD 🧵
THREAD 🧵
We Say You Want a Revolution: PRISONBREAK - An AI-Enabled Influence Operation Aimed at Overthrowing the Iranian Regime - The Citizen Lab
We investigate a coordinated network of inauthentic X accounts that is spreading AI-generated content to induce revolt in Iran. The network has been active since 2023, but increased activity during th...
https://citizenlab.ca/2025/10/ai-enabled-io-aimed-at-overthrowing-iranian-regime]
October 3, 2025 at 3:32 AM
1/ NEW REPORT: “We Say You Want a Revolution” - An AI-Enabled Influence Operation Aimed at Overthrowing the Iranian Regime. We call it PRISONBREAK. Keep reading to find out why.
THREAD 🧵
THREAD 🧵
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
3 years on, there is still complete impunity for crimes committed during & since the Woman, Life, Freedom protests in #Iran. Victims & their families deserve justice.
@hrw.org 👉 www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...
@hrw.org 👉 www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...
Iran: Impunity Reigns 3 Years After Crackdown on Protests
Iran’s authorities have failed to conduct effective, impartial, and independent investigations into serious human rights violations and crimes under international law during and since the 2022 Woman, ...
www.hrw.org
September 16, 2025 at 6:27 AM
3 years on, there is still complete impunity for crimes committed during & since the Woman, Life, Freedom protests in #Iran. Victims & their families deserve justice.
@hrw.org 👉 www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...
@hrw.org 👉 www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
Author copies for
Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics
by me & @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social arrived today!
If you re-post this by Sept 30 we'll put you in a drawing & send the winner a free signed copy anywhere they happen to be on the planet.
Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics
by me & @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social arrived today!
If you re-post this by Sept 30 we'll put you in a drawing & send the winner a free signed copy anywhere they happen to be on the planet.
September 15, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Author copies for
Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics
by me & @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social arrived today!
If you re-post this by Sept 30 we'll put you in a drawing & send the winner a free signed copy anywhere they happen to be on the planet.
Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics
by me & @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social arrived today!
If you re-post this by Sept 30 we'll put you in a drawing & send the winner a free signed copy anywhere they happen to be on the planet.
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
Powerful interests are trying to change the internet.
It's worse than you know.
Your safety and freedoms are on the line.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz_8...
It's worse than you know.
Your safety and freedoms are on the line.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz_8...
Exposing Pegasus: How the State Spies on You | John Scott-Railton
YouTube video by What Bitcoin Did
www.youtube.com
September 10, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Powerful interests are trying to change the internet.
It's worse than you know.
Your safety and freedoms are on the line.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz_8...
It's worse than you know.
Your safety and freedoms are on the line.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz_8...
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
Leaked dataset casts light on Chinese company Geedge Networks business around the world, incl #Myanmar.
Our report exposes 13 telecom biz in Myanmar that are integral to the functioning of Geedge’s sophisticated surveillance & censorship tech on behalf of the junta. Read more👇🏽 #GreatFirewallExport
Our report exposes 13 telecom biz in Myanmar that are integral to the functioning of Geedge’s sophisticated surveillance & censorship tech on behalf of the junta. Read more👇🏽 #GreatFirewallExport
Silk Road of Surveillance | Justice For Myanmar
The 'Silk Road of Surveillance' report exposes the significant collaboration between the illegal Myanmar military junta and China's Geedge Networks in implementing a commercial version of China’s…
www.justiceformyanmar.org
September 10, 2025 at 5:18 AM
Leaked dataset casts light on Chinese company Geedge Networks business around the world, incl #Myanmar.
Our report exposes 13 telecom biz in Myanmar that are integral to the functioning of Geedge’s sophisticated surveillance & censorship tech on behalf of the junta. Read more👇🏽 #GreatFirewallExport
Our report exposes 13 telecom biz in Myanmar that are integral to the functioning of Geedge’s sophisticated surveillance & censorship tech on behalf of the junta. Read more👇🏽 #GreatFirewallExport
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics
by me & @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social is now published by OUP in the USA (rest of world soon)
If you are interested in why you see so many dictatorships & illiberal leaders influencing world politics then this is the book for you.
by me & @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social is now published by OUP in the USA (rest of world soon)
If you are interested in why you see so many dictatorships & illiberal leaders influencing world politics then this is the book for you.
July 1, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics
by me & @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social is now published by OUP in the USA (rest of world soon)
If you are interested in why you see so many dictatorships & illiberal leaders influencing world politics then this is the book for you.
by me & @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social is now published by OUP in the USA (rest of world soon)
If you are interested in why you see so many dictatorships & illiberal leaders influencing world politics then this is the book for you.
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
It is a heartbreaking day for many, many people who worked in the broader foreign assistance, foreign policy, and journalism worlds. USAID, RFE/RL, Radio Free Asia—all illegally closed. Hundreds of State Dept employees being laid off right now. Hundreds more grants being terminated.
July 1, 2025 at 6:56 PM
It is a heartbreaking day for many, many people who worked in the broader foreign assistance, foreign policy, and journalism worlds. USAID, RFE/RL, Radio Free Asia—all illegally closed. Hundreds of State Dept employees being laid off right now. Hundreds more grants being terminated.
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
#TransnationalRepression does not stop at European borders. That’s why we have to come up with unified response -something we are working on with a TNR report in #DROI and later #AFET
June 25, 2025 at 3:55 PM
#TransnationalRepression does not stop at European borders. That’s why we have to come up with unified response -something we are working on with a TNR report in #DROI and later #AFET
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
Proud to present our study on transnational repression at the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights this morning along with my wonderful colleagues @mmichae1sen.bsky.social and @saipirafurstenberg.bsky.social. Recording here: multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/webstream...
Subcommittee on Human Rights Ordinary meeting - Multimedia Centre
The multimedia platform of the European Parliament is the official public available repository of the media production of the Secretariat of the European Parliament, managed by the Directorate-General...
multimedia.europarl.europa.eu
June 25, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Proud to present our study on transnational repression at the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights this morning along with my wonderful colleagues @mmichae1sen.bsky.social and @saipirafurstenberg.bsky.social. Recording here: multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/webstream...
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
Important work by @mmichae1sen.bsky.social on #TNR
This is not theory, my case is one of many and despite complaints, my case acknowledged by Germany&UN. Still unprotected.
This study shows why that must change!! what EU states must do to fix it!
👇
www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en...
This is not theory, my case is one of many and despite complaints, my case acknowledged by Germany&UN. Still unprotected.
This study shows why that must change!! what EU states must do to fix it!
👇
www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en...
Transnational repression of human rights defenders: The impacts on civic space and the responsibility of host states | Think Tank | European Parliament
Transnational repression of human rights defenders: The impacts on civic space and the responsibility of host states
www.europarl.europa.eu
June 25, 2025 at 7:33 AM
Important work by @mmichae1sen.bsky.social on #TNR
This is not theory, my case is one of many and despite complaints, my case acknowledged by Germany&UN. Still unprotected.
This study shows why that must change!! what EU states must do to fix it!
👇
www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en...
This is not theory, my case is one of many and despite complaints, my case acknowledged by Germany&UN. Still unprotected.
This study shows why that must change!! what EU states must do to fix it!
👇
www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en...
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
"Transnational repression of human rights defenders: The impacts on civic space and the responsibility of host states" - Study on transnational repression with @mmichae1sen.bsky.social and @saipirafurstenberg.bsky.social now online.
Transnational repression of human rights defenders: The impacts on civic space and the responsibility of host states | Think Tank | European Parliament
Transnational repression of human rights defenders: The impacts on civic space and the responsibility of host states
www.europarl.europa.eu
June 22, 2025 at 12:07 PM
"Transnational repression of human rights defenders: The impacts on civic space and the responsibility of host states" - Study on transnational repression with @mmichae1sen.bsky.social and @saipirafurstenberg.bsky.social now online.
Reposted by Marcus Michaelsen
Excellent piece by Narges Bajoghli on the dangerous fallacy of regime change in Iran time.com/7295877/issu...
The Issues With Calling for a Regime Change in Iran
"The most ardent proponents of regime change in Iran may be accelerating the very nuclear program they claim to fear."
time.com
June 19, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Excellent piece by Narges Bajoghli on the dangerous fallacy of regime change in Iran time.com/7295877/issu...
G7 Leaders adopt statement on transnational repression, recognising it as a threat to national security, state sovereignty and the human rights of targets. Now words must be followed by action.
I was encouraged to see the #G7 Leaders' Statement on Transnational Repression which also calls out mitigating harms around mercenary spyware 👇🇨🇦
www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/stat...
www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/stat...
June 18, 2025 at 1:41 PM
G7 Leaders adopt statement on transnational repression, recognising it as a threat to national security, state sovereignty and the human rights of targets. Now words must be followed by action.