THE VARSITY January 28, 2019
The University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880
Vol. CXXXIX, No. 15
Researchers at U of T’s Citizen Lab targeted by undercover agents about spyware studies
Questioned about studies on spyware used on friends of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi
Adam A. Lam Associate News Editor
Undercover agents have been questioning U of T Citizen Lab researchers in recent months about their study of an Israeli spyware that was used on murdered Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s friends, reported The Associated Press (AP). Agents have approached researchers twice in the past two months claiming to be “socially conscious investors” interested in partnerships. During meetings set up after online contact, the agents questioned the researchers about their personal lives and work regarding the NSO Group, a surveillance technology firm based in Israel that has sold a clandestine software called “Pegasus” to governments seeking to spy on smartphones. The AP reported that Bahr Abdul Razzak, a Citizen Lab researcher, was approached in December by an investigator who called himself Gary Bowman. Bowman’s questions to Razzak included, “Do you pray?”, “Why do you write only about NSO?”, and “Do you hate Israel?” Another Citizen Lab researcher, John Scott-Railton, was later approached on January 9 and was asked similar questions by a different agent going by the name of Michel Lambert. The AP was unable to reach either of the agents, and there is no evidence that they are linked to the NSO, which has stated that it is not involved. Citizen Lab’s research into the NSO Group is part of its larger initiative on tracking “nation-state spyware,” said senior research fellow Bill Marczak on CNN in October. The lab concluded with “high confidence” that Omar Abdulaziz, a close friend of Khashoggi and fellow Saudi dissident, had been under surveillance using the Pegasus software. Abdulaziz lives in Québec. “When a government buys Pegasus,” said Marczak, “what they do is they can send a text message to someone’s phone containing a link, and if they convince the person to click on that link in the text message, then the phone becomes infected and the government can see anything on the phone — including pictures, contacts, listening into calls, watching text messages, and even turning on the camera and microphone.” Citizen Lab is a Munk School of Global Affairs laboratory that studies human rights issues using computer science and social sciences techniques.
Hundreds of students from across the province marched from Yonge-Dundas Square to Queen’s Park. ANDY TAKAGI/THE VARSITY
Students march through Toronto protesting OSAP cuts, changes to non-tuition fees
Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, protesters fight Ford government changes Stephanie Bai & Andy Takagi Varsity Staff
Thousands of students chanted “Fuck Doug Ford” as they marched through the snow from Yonge-Dundas Square to Queen’s Park on Friday, January 25, protesting the provincial government’s recently announced changes to postsecondary education. The march, which was organized by student groups and labour unions — including the Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario (CFS–O) and the Ontario branch of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) — amassed in front of the Ontario legislature building amid neon posters and chants, including, “The students united will never be defeated.” The changes announced by the Ford government on January 17 would reduce domestic tuition rates by 10 per cent, eliminate the six-month interest-free grace
period on Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) loans, shift provincial funding for students from mainly grant-based to loan-based, and make certain student incidental fees optional in an opt-out system.
Students join from across the province to protest
Speakers emphasized the diversity of the students in attendance, who came from all over the province to protest both their personal concerns over the Ford government’s plan and their overarching concerns for student life at colleges and universities. Among them, U of T students echoed the anger of all students at the protest. Max Xi, a computer science, psychology, and linguistics student at U of T, attended the rally because he believes that student leadership can build a more vibrant campus, also saying that the mental health resources that could be cut have helped him in university. Xi believes that the changes to
student groups and student life will “further worsen the… atmosphere of U of T as a very isolating and overly academic… depressing place.” For criminology and sociolegal studies student Allie McMillan, the 10 per cent cut to domestic tuition is the most damaging of the announced changes as it “completely disregards accessibility and equity.” “I think by making the 10 per cent cut, [Ford] is fully just proving that he only cares about the upper class and those who are already able to attain an education without the help of the government,” she said. Political science student Hamid Mohamed said that, as a recipient of OSAP grants and someone directly impacted by the changes to the grant and loan structure, he is protesting “because [Ford] hasn’t consulted with us and it affects the very livelihood of our campus institutions.” He added that, in particular, student unions are a necessary check on the university administration
and they are now at risk of having their funding cut. Andrew Gallant, a political science, criminology, and sociology student, believes that the announced changes are anti-democratic. “It doesn’t make any sense. I do understand why these sorts of cuts have to be made, but I think that the way that they have been implemented has been poor,” he said.
Speakers rally students, decry Ford government changes
“They have woken up a monster,” said Felipe Nagata, President of the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union and incoming Chairperson of the CFS–O. Nagata led the chants at the front of the march and also gave a speech at Queen’s Park while surrounded by a mass of students. “We’re not going to stop until free tuition is here, we’re not going to stop until education is accessible, and we’re not going to stop Protests, page 3
Business
Comment
Feature
Arts
Science
A deeper look at the proposed University Pension Plan
Students react to Ford’s changes to education funding
Reflections on studying abroad
Let’s talk about sex: ’tis the season of Netflix and chill
Federal funding program Networks of Centres of Excellence to be defunded
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