In June 2021, Russian authorities used Cellebrite’s forensic platform to pry into the phone of human‑rights defender Andrey Pivovarov. The Citizen Lab traced the intrusion to UFED Physical Analyzer and UFED 4PC tools, despite Cellebrite cutting ties with the Investigative Committee in March 2021. The data leak exposed Pivovarov’s WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber chats for evidence in his prosecution case later.

Pivovarov never handed over passwords; his iPhone 12 was seized and returned only in 2023 after a prison sentence. Citizen Lab’s analysis confirmed Cellebrite tools accessed political content, including searches for “Open Russia Civic Movement” and names like Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The MacBook remained largely secure due to encryption, though failed login attempts were logged by Russian authorities during the confiscation period.

Cellebrite claims its hardware, sold before March 2021, became incompatible with newer devices and operated without support. Yet Russian forces accessed Pivovarov’s data three months after the cut. The incident underscores the risk of selling forensic tools to repressive regimes and challenges the company’s claim of respecting human rights. It raises questions about oversight of digital evidence tools worldwide today.