Etienne - Tek

Etienne - Tek

@tek.randhome.io

Technologist @ Human Rights Watch (previously Amnesty, Citizen Lab) Malware, Threats, Online Investigations, Disinformation, Human Rights and silly memes. On Mastodon: tek@todon.eu Also on https://maynier.eu/

774 followers1K following341 posts

Etienne - Tek
@tek.randhome.io

Targeting Democracy: Pegasus and Mercenary Spyware Attacks on Serbian Pro-Democracy Figures - The Citizen Lab https://citizenlab.ca/research/pegasus-spyware-serbian-pro-democracy/

citizenlab.caTargeting Democracy: Pegasus and Mercenary Spyware Attacks on Serbian Pro-Democracy Figures - The Citizen LabIn collaboration with the SHARE Foundation, we found with high confidence that Professor Vladan Đokić, Rector of the University of Belgrade, and prominent supporter of the Serbian student movement, was hacked with NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware in 2026. Additionally, we note that Rade Bajić, who, as a prosecutor, investigated official corruption in a failed project in Belgrade, received an Apple Threat Notification. These notifications are high-confidence indicators of targeting with mercenary spyware such as Pegasus. Our investigations into these cases are ongoing.
Etienne - Tek
@tek.randhome.io

Exposing AdFection: How Discover-Tech Turned Targeted Ads Into a Pipeline for Zero-Click Mercenary Spyware - The Citizen Lab https://citizenlab.ca/research/how-discover-tech-turned-targeted-ads-into-a-pipeline-for-spyware/

citizenlab.caExposing AdFection: How Discover-Tech Turned Targeted Ads Into a Pipeline for Zero-Click Mercenary Spyware - The Citizen LabThis is the first-ever public confirmation of zero-click mercenary spyware delivered via targeted ads. We call the technique AdFection, and show how it was used to infect devices at Al Jazeera with Candiru’s spyware. We also uncover Discover-Tech, and show how the company helps mercenary surveillance vendors track and hack devices around the world.
Etienne - Tek
@tek.randhome.io

Russia Crackdown on Bypassing Online Censorship https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/09/24/russia-crackdown-on-bypassing-online-censorship

hrw.orgRussia Crackdown on Bypassing Online CensorshipRussian authorities are doubling down on their efforts to quash freedom of expression, including access to information, by increasingly suppressing tools to circumvent draconian censorship laws, Human Rights Watch said today. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) services face intensifying blocking and takedowns from app stores.
Etienne - Tek
@tek.randhome.io

Le portable de la conseillère Moyen-Orient de l’Élysée piraté par le Mossad https://www.challenges.fr/politique/exclusif-le-portable-de-la-conseillere-moyen-orient-de-lelysee-pirate-par-le-mossad_645818

challenges.frEXCLUSIF. Le portable de la conseillère Moyen-Orient de l’Élysée piraté par le MossadContacté au sujet du piratage supposé de ce téléphone, le quai d’Orsay ne fait pas de commentaires. L’affaire rappelle toutefois le scandale Pegasus, ce logiciel espion développé par la société israélienne NSO qui avait permis de pirater des dizaines de milliers de smartphones.
Etienne - Tek
@tek.randhome.io

Students and Opposition Politicians Targeted by Spyware https://sharefoundation.info/en/share-foundation-students-and-opposition-politicians-targeted-by-spyware/

sharefoundation.infoSHARE Foundation: Students and Opposition Politicians Targeted by Spyware - SHARE FondacijaThe SHARE Foundation has confirmed that at least 14 people in Serbia were targeted with advanced spyware since at the beginning of 2026 – the largest documented wave of such surveillance in the country to date. Those targeted include members of the student movement, activists, a member of parliament, and a local councilor, all from […]
Etienne - Tek
@tek.randhome.io

EDRi stands in solidarity with Autistici/Inventati after “terrorist” designation by the US government edri.org/our-work/edr...

edri.orgEDRi stands in solidarity with Autistici/Inventati after “terrorist” designation by the US government - European Digital Rights (EDRi)The United States government has designated the Italian non-profit organisation Autistici/Inventati as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" for providing digital infrastructure. EDRi stands in fu...

Etienne - Tek reposted

Zama Neff
@zamahrw.bsky.social

South Africa has named the Taliban’s systematic oppression of women and girls for what Afghan women have long called it: gender apartheid. Now it should act, by supporting its inclusion as a crime against humanity in the new treaty. www.hrw.org/news/2026/08...

hrw.orgSouth Africa Names Gender Apartheid. Now It Should Act.At South Africa’s National Women’s Day commemoration on August 9, President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke, among other things, about the Taliban’s systematic oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan. Stan...

Etienne - Tek reposted

Zack Whittaker
@zackwhittaker.com

Even if Hugging Face is fine with all this (and honestly, why should it be; OpenAI clearly can't control a technology of its own making?), there's room for the USG to bring criminal CFAA charges against OpenAI. It's not like OpenAI execs wrote a blog post describing their crimes or anything. 🙄

theguardian.comAI agent went rogue and hacked startup by itself, OpenAI revealsFirm behind ChatGPT reveals agent powered by its models chose to attack Hugging Face database by itself

Etienne - Tek reposted

Human Rights Watch
@hrw.org

The United States has “partnered” with Ecuador to respond to rising violence, driven largely by organized crime groups, in Ecuador — but has it made it safer for Ecuadorians? From a human rights perspective, this partnership is a perilous one. New report from HRW: https://bit.ly/44EQV6G

Etienne - Tek
@tek.randhome.io

Codename “Morgan”: A look back at Morocco’s acquisition of Pegasus, involving Israel and the United Arab Emirates - Forbidden Stories https://forbiddenstories.org/codename-morgan-a-look-back-at-moroccos-acquisition-of-pegasus-involving-israel-and-the-united-arab-emirates/

forbiddenstories.orgCodename “Morgan”: A look back at Morocco’s acquisition of Pegasus, involving Israel and the United Arab EmiratesFrom product demonstrations at a secret villa in Rabat to training sessions at NSO’s Herzliya headquarters, Forbidden Stories and its partners retrace the early stages of Morocco’s use of Pegasus.
Etienne - Tek
@tek.randhome.io

Morocco Denied Using Pegasus. Documents and Insider Accounts Tell a Different Story - Forbidden Stories https://forbiddenstories.org/how-did-morocco-become-addicted-to-tracking-down-its-opponents-with-spyware/

forbiddenstories.orgHow did Morocco become addicted to tracking down its opponents with spyware?Trailing targets, monitoring internet cafes, deploying spyware: Morocco has mobilized a massive arsenal of surveillance tools against journalists and dissidents in recent years.
Etienne - Tek
@tek.randhome.io

Espionage Against the European Parliament: Member of Committee Investigating Spyware Hacked with Pegasus - The Citizen Lab https://citizenlab.ca/research/member-of-committee-investigating-spyware-hacked-with-pegasus/

citizenlab.caEspionage Against the European Parliament: Member of Committee Investigating Spyware Hacked with Pegasus - The Citizen LabWe found that former Member of the European Parliament Stelios Kouloglou was hacked with Pegasus spyware while serving on the PEGA committee, which investigated Pegasus and other spyware abuses in Europe. Through forensic analysis of his device, we found that the attackers could have had access to confidential documents and committee deliberations.

Etienne - Tek reposted

OONI
@ooni.org

⚖️ Kenya's High Court ruled the government cannot arbitrarily block websites, striking down the Cybercrimes Act clause behind past shutdowns. The winning petition drew on OONI's evidence of Telegram blocking during KCSE exams. 🌐 📄 Our report: ooni.org/post/2025-ke...

ooni.orgooni.org

Etienne - Tek reposted

Human Rights Watch en français
@hrw-fr.hrw.org

Le Niger a officiellement déposé sa demande de retrait de la Cour pénale internationale. Cette décision prive les victimes de crimes internationaux d'une voie essentielle vers la justice. Les États membres de l'Union africaine et de la CPI devraient exhorter le Niger à revenir sur cette décision.

Etienne - Tek reposted

Ron Deibert
@rondeibert.bsky.social

🇨🇦 Liberals are dismissing the privacy concerns surrounding the government’s lawful access bill as “tinfoil hat” and “paranoid” conspiracy theories So undignified and disrespectful to @citizenlab.ca & numerous other serious professionals that care about this country globalnews.ca/news/1191195...

globalnews.caLiberals dismiss ‘tinfoil hat’ privacy fears as lawful access bill passes - National | Globalnews.caConservatives and other opposition parties sought to address privacy concerns in Bill C-22, but the Liberal government shut down debate and fast-tracked the bill.

Etienne - Tek reposted

Ron Deibert
@rondeibert.bsky.social

In the "open secret" news category, Canada's 🇨🇦 Ontario Provincial Police have been using spyware, but not disclosing it to the public, and even burying legal cases to keep it secret! www.thestar.com/news/ontario...

thestar.comOntario police are using spyware that lets them remotely take over your smartphone. They’re fighting to keep almost everything about it secretThe police use of ODITs is so secret that police forces have signed agreements to drop serious criminal investigations rather than reveal the name of their vendor.

Etienne - Tek reposted

Doug Madory
@eldomador.bsky.social

Iran's internet shutdown, the most severe national blackout ever recorded, is in day 77. Authorities are selling whitelisted access through SIM cards, creating a two-tier internet where the privileged browse freely while 90M citizens sit in the dark. #DigitalBlackOutIran‌