Welcome to this episode of The Kodali Manifesto.
My guest today is Ron Deibert. You can find him on Twitter @rondeibert
Ron is a Professor of Political Science and Director of the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto.
As Director of the Citizen Lab, Deibert has overseen and been a contributing author to more than 120 reports covering path-breaking research on cyber espionage, commercial spyware, Internet censorship, and human rights. These reports include the landmark Tracking Ghostnet report (which uncovered an espionage operation that infiltrated the computer networks of hundreds of government offices, NGOs, and other organizations, including those of the Dalai Lama) and the Kingdom Came to Canada (an investigation of a Canadian permanent resident, Saudi dissident, and Khashoggi colleague who was targeted with commercial spyware)
These reports have been cited widely in global media, garnering 25 front-page exclusives in the New York Times, Washington Post, and other leading outlets, and have been cited by policymakers, academics, and civil society as foundational to the understanding of digital technologies, human rights, and global security.
He is a co-editor of three major volumes with MIT Press and the author of 3 books, most recently titled Reset: Reclaiming the Internet for Civil Society on the cover of which Edward Snowden comments, "No one has done more than Ron Deibert and his lab to expose the enemies of the internet," which can also be found as a part of the 2020 Massey Lecture series.
Ron has received many awards, including being appointed to the Order of Ontario and receiving the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal. In 2017, he was named one of the top "Humans of the Year" by VICE.
Hope you enjoy!