banner
LightNews
sanstis.bsky.social
Siena Anstis
@sanstis.bsky.social
1.1K followers 540 following 66 posts
lawyer | senior legal advisor @ The Citizen Lab | PhD Fellow in Law @ University of Oslo | parent | currently: transnational repression, digital surveillance & international human rights law | EU-based (Geneva, Oslo) | https://sienaanstis.com
sienaanstis.com
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Pinned
sanstis.bsky.social
Siena Anstis @sanstis.bsky.social · Feb 9
📣 New book! 📣 Dr. Larissa van den Herik & myself have a book coming out in March titled "Transnational Repression and International Law." Excited to see the result of this excellent collaboration and I hope it's useful for TNR/international law scholars & govt policymakers working on the issue.
Transnational Repression and International Law
www.nomos-shop.de
3 11
sanstis.bsky.social
Siena Anstis @sanstis.bsky.social · 3d
Great essay by @nateschenkkan.bsky.social on the driving forces behind the "golden age" of transnational repression.
Project MUSE - The Golden Age of Transnational Repression
muse.jhu.edu
sanstis.bsky.social
Siena Anstis @sanstis.bsky.social · 16d
Microsoft blocks Israel’s use of its technology in mass surveillance of Palestinians
Exclusive: Tech firm ends military unit’s access to AI and data services after Guardian reveals secret spy project
www.theguardian.com
sanstis.bsky.social
Siena Anstis @sanstis.bsky.social · 24d
Google Secretly Handed ICE Data About Pro-Palestine Student Activist
Google handed over Gmail account information to ICE before notifying the student or giving him an opportunity to challenge the subpoena.
theintercept.com
2
sanstis.bsky.social
Siena Anstis @sanstis.bsky.social · 26d
A few (early) thoughts on digital transnational repression and extraterritorial human rights obligations over at @bindinghook.bsky.social. Thanks for the opportunity to share my research (again!).
Digital transnational repression and the limits of international human rights law in a ‘post-territorial’ world
Traditional models of jurisdiction fail dissidents in an ever more connected world
bindinghook.com
7 6
Reposted by Siena Anstis
rondeibert.bsky.social
Ron Deibert @rondeibert.bsky.social · 26d
Spyware industry pockets EU subsidies while snooping on its citizens www.ftm.eu/articles/spy...

Great work by @vaspanagiotopoulos.com showing how EU taxpayer money funds a surveillance industry that sells to authoritarian regimes abroad.
Spyware industry pockets EU subsidies while snooping on its citizens
The widespread use of commercial spyware for unlawful surveillance across Europe has raised alarm – but the funding of such tools has largely gone under the radar. Follow the Money can reveal how mill...
www.ftm.eu
28 49
sanstis.bsky.social
Siena Anstis @sanstis.bsky.social · Sep 11
Silicon Valley enabled brutal mass detention and surveillance in China, internal documents show
U.S. technology firms such as IBM, Dell and Cisco largely designed and built China’s surveillance state, an AP investigation finds. The tech companies deny wrongdoing.
apnews.com
2 1
sanstis.bsky.social
Siena Anstis @sanstis.bsky.social · Sep 11
Spyware installed on Kenyan filmmakers' phones in police custody - Committee to Protect Journalists
New York, September 10, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists is gravely alarmed by the installation of spyware on two Kenyan filmmakers’ phones while the devices were in police custody, and calls...
cpj.org
1
Reposted by Siena Anstis
rondeibert.bsky.social
Ron Deibert @rondeibert.bsky.social · Sep 8
"A tsunami of AI-enabled disinformation is already upon us, polluting the public sphere and seeping back into the language models that AI systems feed upon. What to do?"

My latest oped in @theglobeandmail.com 👇

www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
Opinion: Canada’s new Minister of AI must not be naive to its harms
AI is not just being deployed to expand human understanding, but to systematically subvert it as well
www.theglobeandmail.com
3 25 45
Reposted by Siena Anstis
ajil.bsky.social
AJIL and AJIL Unbound @ajil.bsky.social · Sep 8
The final part of our AJIL Unbound series on reparations is now available online. Read "What Can International Law Repair?" now! www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
1 5 4
sanstis.bsky.social
Siena Anstis @sanstis.bsky.social · Aug 20
www.justsecurity.org/118409/disco...
Discovery in U.S. Spyware Litigation: A Double-Edged Sword?
Despite its inherent risks, civil society and policymakers can learn how to benefit from the discovery process in spyware cases.
www.justsecurity.org
sanstis.bsky.social
Siena Anstis @sanstis.bsky.social · Aug 16
New positive development in the AlHathloul v. Dark Matter and others case with the court allowing the case to proceed despite lack of jurisdiction arguments made by the defendants: www.eff.org/document/alh...
AlHathloul v. DarkMatter - Opinion and Order on Motion to Dismiss
151_opinion_and_order_2025-08-12.pdf
www.eff.org
3
sanstis.bsky.social
Siena Anstis @sanstis.bsky.social · Aug 16
Looking forward to this series on accountability for spyware harms from Just Security: www.justsecurity.org/117335/legal...
Legal Frameworks for Addressing Spyware Harms
Introducing a new series on accountability for spyware harms convened by the Atlantic Council in partnership with Just Security.
www.justsecurity.org
3
Reposted by Siena Anstis
evacide.bsky.social
evacide @evacide.bsky.social · Aug 6
Ron Deibert is absolutely the voice that the infosec industry needs to be listening to right now. We are in a moment where fascism is consolidating power and most of the infosec industry is either playing along or is busy bragging about how much AI they've shoved into their products.
6 160 310
Reposted by Siena Anstis
lokman.org
lokman tsui @lokman.org · Aug 8
beijing forces thai art gallery to shutdown an exhibition on transnational repression.

hey siri, what’s the definition of transnational repression?

www.reuters.com/world/china/...
Exclusive: Thai gallery removes China-focused artworks after 'pressure' from Beijing
In what artists called the latest attempt by Beijing to silence critics overseas, the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre changed multiple works by artists in exile in the exhibit on authoritarian governments collaborating across borders.
www.reuters.com
24 40
Reposted by Siena Anstis
jsrailton.bsky.social
John Scott-Railton @jsrailton.bsky.social · Aug 8
NEW: 🇩🇪#Germany's top court says spyware severely violates fundamental rights.

Bans spyware in cases with <3year sentences.

Imposes tough proportionality tests. Restricts #spyware to serious cases.

Very interesting 1/

www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de/SharedDocs/P...
3 42 75
sanstis.bsky.social
Siena Anstis @sanstis.bsky.social · Aug 4
A range of other issues are discussed as well, e.g., use of sanctions, the role of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, etc. Overall, these recommendations reflect what experts have been calling for -- now to see if they are implemented...
sanstis.bsky.social
Siena Anstis @sanstis.bsky.social · Aug 4
It also describes how INTERPOL has been abused and leveraged by perpetrating states and the serious impact this has on e.g., asylum applications, and recommends pressure to reform & mitigation strategies in the interim (e.g., training immigration staff on Red Notices abuse).
1
sanstis.bsky.social
Siena Anstis @sanstis.bsky.social · Aug 4
The report highlights the need for proactive community outreach and engagement with targeted communities to ensure sufficient support is provided, training for law enforcement on TNR, and the opening of a dedicated national reporting hotline for individuals targeted with TNR.
1
sanstis.bsky.social
Siena Anstis @sanstis.bsky.social · Aug 4
Recommendations include the adoption of a formal definition of TNR, systematically collecting TNR-related data, and strengthening existing legislation (e.g., domestic criminal law) to ensure it captures TNR.
1
sanstis.bsky.social
Siena Anstis @sanstis.bsky.social · Aug 4
The UK Joint Committee on Human Rights makes a range of sound recommendations on what the UK needs to do to address TNR -- other countries should consider these closely: committees.parliament.uk/committee/93...
committees.parliament.uk
1 1
sanstis.bsky.social
Siena Anstis @sanstis.bsky.social · Aug 4
The report also highlights the need for proactive community outreach and engagement with targeted communities to ensure sufficient support is provided, training for law enforcement, and the opening of a dedicated national reporting hotline for individuals targeted with TNR.
sanstis.bsky.social
Siena Anstis @sanstis.bsky.social · Aug 4
Recommendations include the adoption of a formal definition, systematically collecting TNR-related data, and strengthening existing legislation (e.g., domestic criminal law) to ensure it captures TNR.
1
sanstis.bsky.social
Siena Anstis @sanstis.bsky.social · Aug 4
And citizenlab.ca/2024/12/the-...
No Escape: The Weaponization of Gender for the Purposes of Digital Transnational Repression - The Citizen Lab
Building upon our prior research and the contributions of other scholars to this field, the aim of this novel study is to understand the security risks and harms caused by digital transnational repres...
citizenlab.ca
sanstis.bsky.social
Siena Anstis @sanstis.bsky.social · Aug 4
This research fits with our conclusions regarding the harms associated with digital transnational repression: citizenlab.ca/2022/03/psyc...
Psychological and Emotional War: Digital Transnational Repression in Canada - The Citizen Lab
In this report, we describe how activists and dissidents living in Canada are impacted by digital transnational repression. We conclude that digital transnational repression has a serious impact on th...
citizenlab.ca
1
sanstis.bsky.social
Siena Anstis @sanstis.bsky.social · Aug 4
Briefer by Fundación Acceso in Costa Rica on the psychosocial impacts of surveillance and spyware attacks: www.acceso.or.cr/wp-content/u...
www.acceso.or.cr
1