Most people are familiar with counterintelligence from films, television shows, and spy novels. It usually involves a government agency ferreting out what its adversaries are doing to subvert or threaten the state. It’s a game of “spy-vs-spy,” operating principally in the covert realm. For the last 25 years, the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab has pioneered a different kind of counterintelligence — undertaken not on behalf of states or the private sector, but in the public interest, on behalf of all citizens regardless of where they live. In his talk, Ron Deibert will describe what this type of counterintelligence looks like in practice, the methods they use, and the risks they face. He will discuss how counterintelligence for civil society protects high-risk populations, including journalists, human rights defenders, lawyers, activists, refugees, and immigrants. Finally, Ron will address how advances in artificial intelligence are reshaping the threat landscape in ways that make counterintelligence for civil society more vital than ever.
The talk will be followed by coffee and refreshments.
Places are limited. Register your interest below. Accepted participants will be notified via email.
