Cellebrite severed ties with Russia, but its tool was used to unlock an opposition figure’s phone

Colleagues, a heads-up: Citizen Lab reported that in June 2021 Russian investigators used Cellebrite UFED to access opposition activist Andrey Pivovarov’s iPhone, despite Cellebrite's claim of halting supplies in March 2021.

- Court documents and forensic analysis confirm extraction of WhatsApp and Telegram messages and political queries.
- Cellebrite says it revoked licenses and ended support; this case suggests that may be insufficient.
- Experts propose remote device-blocking and cryptographic markers to trace abuse.

Why it matters: this demonstrates that surveillance tools can remain operational after formal disengagement.

Which measures should manufacturers and regulators prioritize?

#cybersecurity #privacy #technology #accountability