Jordanian authorities appear to be utilizing an Israeli-made tool to extract information from activists who have spoken out against Israel and in support of Gaza, according to a report by the Citizen Lab. The investigative body found that these authorities were using forensic extraction tools made by Cellebrite, which can access data such as photos, videos, chats, passwords, location history, and more.
The investigation, spanning several years, revealed with high confidence that Jordanian security forces have been utilizing this technology against members of civil society, including activists, a student organizer, and a human rights defender. The researchers note that the use of Cellebrite by authorities "likely violates human rights treaties Jordan has ratified", specifically the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The Citizen Lab analyzed four mobile phones belonging to individuals who had been detained or interrogated by authorities between January 2024 and June 2025, and all had been subjected to forensic extraction using Cellebrite. In one case, a researcher discovered that an activist's iPhone was in custody for 35 days after being seized following an interrogation.
In another instance, a student activist refused to provide their phone passcode, leading authorities to unlock the device using Apple's Face ID while holding it up to the activist's face. Upon release from prison, the activist found their passcode written on a piece of tape stuck to the back of the phone, which was later linked to an external Cellebrite device.
Cellebrite maintains that its technology is forensic in nature and used only for investigations with legal due process or consent. The company claims it vets potential customers against internal human rights parameters and takes proactive steps to investigate any allegations of misuse. However, the Jordanian government has yet to respond to requests for comment on this matter.
The report highlights concerns about Cellebrite's use in other countries, including Myanmar, Botswana, Serbia, and Belarus, further raising questions about its role in the surveillance state.
The investigation, spanning several years, revealed with high confidence that Jordanian security forces have been utilizing this technology against members of civil society, including activists, a student organizer, and a human rights defender. The researchers note that the use of Cellebrite by authorities "likely violates human rights treaties Jordan has ratified", specifically the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The Citizen Lab analyzed four mobile phones belonging to individuals who had been detained or interrogated by authorities between January 2024 and June 2025, and all had been subjected to forensic extraction using Cellebrite. In one case, a researcher discovered that an activist's iPhone was in custody for 35 days after being seized following an interrogation.
In another instance, a student activist refused to provide their phone passcode, leading authorities to unlock the device using Apple's Face ID while holding it up to the activist's face. Upon release from prison, the activist found their passcode written on a piece of tape stuck to the back of the phone, which was later linked to an external Cellebrite device.
Cellebrite maintains that its technology is forensic in nature and used only for investigations with legal due process or consent. The company claims it vets potential customers against internal human rights parameters and takes proactive steps to investigate any allegations of misuse. However, the Jordanian government has yet to respond to requests for comment on this matter.
The report highlights concerns about Cellebrite's use in other countries, including Myanmar, Botswana, Serbia, and Belarus, further raising questions about its role in the surveillance state.
What's next? Our own governments gonna start using Cellebrite on their own citizens too?! It's like they're trying to turn our homes into police stations... 
I mean, who does Jordan think they are, playing with people's private lives like this?! The fact that they're using this tech without so much as a by-your-leave is just straight-up authoritarianism. And don't even get me started on the whole Face ID thing... that's some Orwellian stuff right there! 
We need to be super careful about who we let with our personal info, 'specially if they're gonna use it against us. This just goes to show you how easily our freedoms can be taken away... we gotta stay vigilant and hold these kinds of powers accountable! 
. if they're really using it to extract info from activists who spoke out for gaza, that's a major human rights violation in my book. i mean, i get it, govts have a job to do, but come on, don't use tech to spy on ppl who just wanna make a difference 
. Cellebrite can claim all they want about how their tool is 'forensic' and used for 'investigations with legal due process', but at the end of the day, it's still a powerful tool that can be used to silence dissenting voices 
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! Cellebrite is being used by authorities to access sensitive data like pics vids chats passwords & location history, and it's literally violating human rights treaties they've ratified 
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. And in another case, the activist even had their phone passcode written on a piece of tape and linked to the Cellebrite device 
. And now, other countries are using this tool too? Like, Myanmar Botswana Serbia & Belarus? This is getting outta hand... 
from Botswana to Belarus. It's like these governments think they're above the law or something? 
what kind of surveillance state are we living in now where companies are basically building prisons for people who speak truth to power?
Myanmar, Botswana, Serbia, Belarus - it's like they're getting into all these places using this tech 
. I mean, I know Cellebrite says its tool is forensic in nature, but how do you trust a company when there are so many grey areas? 
... what's the point of having human rights treaties if they're not gonna be enforced? 
I need more info on Cellebrite's internal vetting process, too - it sounds like some dodgy stuff going on there 
. And what really gets me is that Cellebrite claims its technology is used only for legitimate investigations with consent... but we can't even trust them on this? 
. If their tech is being used to violate human rights treaties like the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, then something needs to be done about it ASAP 
.
. And that student activist refusing to give their phone passcode? That's totally not unreasonable, in my opinion 
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. Either way, I hope more people start paying attention to these issues and demanding change 
. Like, what's next? They're gonna tap our phones too 
That's just wrong.
. But at the same time, it makes me super uncomfortable knowing how easily our freedoms can be taken away 
. Can't we just have some peace and quiet in the digital age? 