Russia Accused of Using Israeli Forensics Platform to Hack Activist's Phone

A recent investigation by the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab has revealed that the Russian government allegedly used a digital forensics platform from Israeli company Cellebrite to hack into the phone of a prominent human rights activist, Andrey Pivovarov. Despite Cellebrite terminating its contract with Russian authorities in March 2021, the platform was reportedly used to access Pivovarov's iPhone 12 and extract data from messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Viber. The Citizen Lab's analysis found evidence of Cellebrite's forensic tools being used on Pivovarov's phone in June 2021, while it was in the possession of Russian authorities. Cellebrite claims that the hardware used was outdated and had been sold prior to the contract termination, and that any use of its platform in Russia after March 2021 was unauthorized.

However, the Citizen Lab accuses Cellebrite of failing to meet its corporate responsibility to respect human rights, citing a history of selling to governments with questionable human rights records. The incident raises concerns about the potential misuse of digital forensics tools by governments and the responsibility of companies like Cellebrite to ensure their technology is not used to perpetuate human rights abuses. Pivovarov's devices were initially seized in 2021, and he was later sentenced to prison. He has since been released and had his devices returned to him, which is when he first contacted the Citizen Lab about the alleged hacking.

The incident highlights the need for companies to prioritize human rights and consider the potential consequences of their technology being used by governments with questionable track records.

Source: Engadget