Emile Dirks

What exactly sets foreign interference apart from influence? On June 9, join the Citizen Lab’s @emiledirks for an online session that will explore the evolving landscape of China’s transnational influence and repression efforts. Hosted by @CanChnForum Register here: canadachinaforum.ca/2025/05/the-pr…

NEW REPORT: Our investigation of a spearphishing campaign targeting members of @UyghurCongress reveals a highly-customized attack. Its aim: to deliver Windows-based malware capable of conducting remote surveillance against its targets. Read it here: citizenlab.ca/2025/04/uyghur…

Today my @citizenlab colleagues also released a report on the hijacking of Uyghur language software to surveil members of the World Uyghur Congress as part of "ongoing threats of digital transnational repression facing the Uyghur diaspora." citizenlab.ca/2025/04/uyghur…

Accompanying the report is a video on "the mechanics of the Chinese government’s global repression campaign against its perceived enemies," which includes a few more quotes from me. icij.org/investigations…

A sobering new investigation by @ICIJorg showing the scale and severity of Chinese state transnational repression. I'm briefly quoted alongside victims, activists, and experts.

With the #US freezing funding for NGOs like Radio Free Asia, #Canada faces an imminent challenge: how to curb #Beijing’s foreign interference without the support of a network of organizations backed by the US? #Read our latest #PolicyBrief now 👇 @dianafutweets @emiledirks

New from @dianafutweets & me for @AsiaPacificFdn. We argue that an autocratic Trump administration means Canada has not only lost an ally in the fight against foreign interference, it has gained a new adversary. asiapacific.ca/publication/ho…

Our oped on the need for Ottawa to combat transnational repression, a problem made worse by democratic backsliding in the US & big techs role in facilitating online harassment. With @nouraaljizawi, @sienaanstis, & @RonDeibert. theglobeandmail.com/opinion/articl…

The 🇨🇦 Hogue Report missed an opportunity to tackle transnational repression Our oped (@emiledirks @nouraaljizawi @sienaanstis and I) in today's @globeandmail 👇 theglobeandmail.com/opinion/articl…

📚 One week until the release of @RonDeibert's new book “Chasing Shadows”, published by @simonschusterca! Get your copy Feb 4 >> chasingshadowsbook.ca

NTY @sapna reports Tiktok is one step closer to being banned. Again, is Tikok a potential conduit for foreign influence? Yes. Is Tiktok the only platform for foreign propaganda? No. Let's get foreign interference and influence straight. See article with @emiledirks

President-elect Trump’s notable shift in position on TikTok’s shutdown could have major implications for U.S.-China ties. Experts warn TikTok could potentially become a bargaining chip in the U.S.-China trade talks. Citizen Lab research associate @emiledirks points towards a key dilemma in balancing economic interests with national security concerns. @BobbyAllyn writes for @NPR: npr.org/2024/11/27/g-s…

When authoritarian governments weaponize gender to target women human rights defenders in exile: our new report builds on 80+ interviews to unpack the methods and impacts of gender-based digital transnational repression.

📢 NEW REPORT: No Escape: The Weaponization of Gender for the Purposes of Digital Transnational Repression. 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-we…

In our latest Q&A @emiledirks from @citizenlab talks about the tactics used by #China to track and suppress #dissidents abroad, and how the controversy over banning #TikTok shows the need for a principled stance on repression, regardless of who is doing it onspecpodcast.com/podcast/lethal…

Do Chinese protestors under Xi frequently blog about police abuse? Yes! Using digital discursive strategies: citizenship, solidarity, confrontational. Based on a dataset of 74,415 microblogs early Xi era @munkschool @BrookingsChina @ncuscr @UofT_PolSci link.springer.com/article/10.100…

The Citizen Lab’s @KateRobertson_ testified before the Senate Standing Committee on National Security, Defence, and Veterans Affairs @SenateCA on Bill C-26. Robertson calls for stronger judicial oversight, protection for encryption, and transparency obligations in Bill C-26 to protect the rights and freedoms of people in Canada, and the security of Canada’s telecom networks. Read her written submission here: sencanada.ca/Content/Sen/Co… #BillC26 #privacy

📢 NEW REPORT: Our latest report reveals that the US storefront of @amazon uses a system to restrict shipments of certain products. We found 17k+ products that were restricted from being shipped to specific world regions, with the most common type of product being books 📚. #censorship #AmazonCensorship #BannedBooks citizenlab.ca/2024/11/analys…