Ronald Deibert, director of the Citizen Lab, took extensive precautions in April 2025 when traveling to Illinois, purchasing new electronic devices upon arrival to mitigate the risk of surveillance. Deibert's actions underscore the increasing concerns about digital espionage, particularly for individuals and organizations involved in cybersecurity research.

Deibert founded the Citizen Lab in 2001 at the University of Toronto. The research center operates as a counterintelligence service for civil society, investigating cyberthreats with the goal of exposing digital abuses. "I’m traveling under the assumption that I am being watched, right down to exactly where I am at any moment," Deibert said, highlighting the constant threat he and his colleagues face.

The Citizen Lab has spent two decades investigating and exposing digital abuses. Their work has positioned them as a key player in identifying and analyzing sophisticated surveillance technologies, including spyware used to target journalists, human rights activists, and political dissidents. The organization's research involves reverse engineering malware, analyzing network traffic, and tracking the infrastructure used to deploy these cyberweapons.

For many years, Deibert and his colleagues have looked to the United States as a model for liberal democracy. However, this perspective is evolving, reflecting growing concerns about government surveillance and the erosion of digital privacy. The Citizen Lab's work is crucial in an era where digital technologies are increasingly weaponized, and the lines between state-sponsored espionage and criminal hacking are becoming blurred.