Access Now

@accessnow.org

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We defend and extend the digital rights of people and communities at risk 🌎.

The ongoing internet blackout in Pakistan-administered Kashmir is a blatant violation of human rights. The #KeepItOn coalition calls for an immediate end to the shutdown and urges authorities to restore full access now.
Since June 5, 2026, authorities in Pakistan-administered Kashmir have indefinitely cut off internet access for over six million people following regional protests. This prolonged shutdown has disrupted communication, education, healthcare and economic activities, creating a dangerous information vacuum that puts lives at risk. Amid the shutdown, clashes between protesters and police have resulted in dozens of injuries and the deaths of at least 30 people. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/nine-killed-pakistan-administered-kashmir-clashes-2026-07-14/ Shutdowns are not harmless; swipe to read the testimonies of those impacted.
our speakers sit at a panel during a discussion at WSIS. From left to right: Prof. Ingrid Volkmer of the University of Melbourne, Maksym Dvorovyi of Digital Security Lab Ukraine, Guilherme Canela de Souza Godoi of UNESCO, and Giulio Coppi of Access Now. Canela de Souza Godoi speaks into a microphone while gesturing, as the other panelists listen. Photo credit: ©ITU/Pierre Albouy
Stronger together: digital security and resilience for LGBTQ+ people July 14 @ 9:00 am – 10:00 am EST / 3 PM CEST Azza Nubi — Founder and Executive Director of LooM SWANA; queer feminist activist and digital rights advocate. Rocío Jiménez — Security Incident Handler at Access Now; feminist activist and digital security expert. Donald Hamblock — Staff Safety by Design Partner at Match Group; Trust & Safety expert. Moderator: Jaimee Kokonya — Africa Campaigner at Access Now; digital rights and human rights advocate
Attendees gather for the session "Artificial Insecurity: AI and Cybersecurity" at a side event during the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva. At the front of the room, Daniel Leufer, Senior Policy Analyst at Access Now; Dr. Rumman Chowdhury, CEO and Co-founder of HumanIntelligence; Maria Paz Canales, Head of Policy and Advocacy at Global Partners Digital; and Ambassador Philip Thigo, MBS, Special Envoy on Technology for the Republic of Kenya, participate in a panel discussion. Udbhav Tiwari, Vice President of Strategy and Global Affairs at Signal, joins remotely.
The fight for digital rights needs you. Support Access Now — donate today. [accessnow.org/donate]
Global Dialogue on AI Governance 6-7 July 2026 Palexpo Geneva, Switzerland
Innovate - discuss - share Moderator Guilherme Canela de Souza Godoi, Director for Division for Digital Inclusion and Policies and Digital Transformation, UNESCO Ingrid Volkmer, Professor in the Media and Communication Program, University of Melbourne Charley Lewis, Councilor, Independent Communications Authority of South Africa Guilio Coppi, Senior Humanitarian Officer, Access Now Maksym Dvorovyi, Senior Legal Counsel, Digital Security Lab Ukraine Join us! Tuesday, 7 July 14:00 - 14:45 UTC+ 2:00 Room H1, ITU Montbrillant Building
The World Cup brings countries together and some of them share more than a World Cup spot. In 2025, some nations competed in another race: shutting down the internet.
Stronger together: digital security and resilience for LGBTQ+ people July 14 @ 9:00 am – 10:00 am EST / 3 PM CEST Azza Nubi — Founder and Executive Director of LooM SWANA; queer feminist activist and digital rights advocate. Rocío Jiménez — Security Incident Handler at Access Now; feminist activist and digital security expert. Donald Hamblock — Staff Safety by Design Partner at Match Group; Trust & Safety expert. Moderator: Jaimee Kokonya — Africa Campaigner at Access Now; digital rights and human rights advocate
From Azerbaijan to Zambia, the fight for digital rights is everywhere. Fuel digital resistance, donate to Access Now.
Green drawing background Don't let digital dictators decide the future of the internet. Fund the good fight Donate to Access Now! Access Now logo
La elección de Perú se está decidiendo en tu pantalla. Y la desinformación intenta ser un participante activo. En época electoral, la desinformación digital combina contenido engañoso, algoritmos y datos personales para llegar a ti.
Join us at the Human Rights Tech Clinic June 8-9 In-person support and advise Organized by Access Now, Digital Deferenders Partnership and Decent Design DRAPAC26
We won’t stop defending LGBTQ+ digital rights today, on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, and every day beyond.
Digital security in war and conflict: challenges for civil society and tools for resilience. MAY 19, 2026 / 9 AM EST / 3 PM CEST. Mahsa Alimardani, Associate Director, Technology Threats and Opportunities program, WITNESS. Jocelyn Woolbright, Program Manager, Public Policy Team, Cloudfare. Mia Marzotto, Digital Rights Advocacy Lead, Oxfam. Luis Barrueto, Coordinator, Access Now's Digital Security Helpline. Moderator: Giulio Coppi, Senior Humanitarian Officer, Access Now. accessnow.org/digital-security-webinars
11 exam-related internet shutdowns across six countries in the Middle East and Africa in 2025! No evidence they prevent cheating. Clear evidence they harm.
Africa: 1. Defenders Protection Initiative: Under watch: tactics for activists facing hate and surveillance in elections May 6 at 9:00 am. 2. Zaina Foundation: When the net goes dark: how shutdowns undermine democracy in Africa on May 7 at 9:00 am. 3. Digital Shelter: Documenting data and content violations on May 7 at 12:45 pm. 4. Nubian Rights Forum: Safe data practices for minorities on May 8 at 9:00 am. 5. Haki na Sheria: Drawing the undrawn: creative tactics for digital rights and ID inclusion on May 8 at 12.45 pm.
Felicia Anthonio, #KeepItOn Global Campaign Manager at Access Now. When Repression Meets Resistance: A Decade of Fighting Internet Shutdowns Globally.
Webinar invitation on Advancing Rights-Centered Reporting on Nigeria's Cybercrimes Act. 21st April 2026.
Join my session on “Democracy Disconnected: fighting against election shutdowns in Africa” on April 15 at 10:10 am GMT at Radisson Blu, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Espionage enabling repression? The latest investigation by our Digital Security Helpline shows how it’s happening!
The fight is growing. So is the response. Many international organizations and diplomatic bodies pushed back against shutdowns in 2025. Civil society compelled governments to reverse shutdown orders. And we won't rest until all actors stop deliberately disrupting networks. Read the full report
Communities are fighting back! In Tanzania, thousands were shot in the streets under cover of a complete internet blackout. It was not enough to silence resistance. “Despite the shutdown preventing immediate wide sharing, we were able to disseminate the information online in small batches for the rest of the world to see.” — Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi.
Some governments have made shutdowns a habit. We saw: Myanmar: 95 shutdowns India: 65 shutdowns Pakistan: 20 shutdowns Tanzania: 8 shutdowns
When the internet goes dark, atrocities follow. We documented: 125 conflict-related shutdowns across 14 countries 70 shutdowns that coincided with murder, torture, or apparent war crimes in 21 countries
By the numbers… Not a single day of 2025 passed without at least one internet shutdown: 313 shutdowns documented in 2025 52 countries affected 100 countries have experienced a shutdown since 2016 When 2026 started, 75 of those shutdowns were still ongoing. Some communities have been cut off for months.
In 2025, we tracked more internet shutdowns than ever before. Here's what we found, and why it matters
The global fight to #KeepItOn Around the world, perpetrators use internet shutdowns to disconnect people from communication, information, and essential services. These disruptions undermine human rights and affect millions of people arrow to the right
Join our conversation at SXSW In picture Peter Micek Access Now logo SXSW 2026 March 12-18 Austin, TX
Join our conversation at SXSW In picture Luis Marquez Access Now logo SXSW 2026 March 12-18 Austin, TX
Join our conversation at SXSW In picture Alejandro Mayoral Baños Access Now logo SXSW 2026 March 12-18 Austin, TX
From cooperation to complicity Meet the 450+ companies powering the EU's war on migrants
Spear-phishing: how to stay safe and prevent advanced attacks against civil society MARCH 10, 2026 / 9 AM ET / 2 PM CET accessnow.org/digital-security-webinars Marilou Maala, Incident Response Analyst, Digital Security Helpline Rebekah Brown, Senior Researcher, Citizen Lab Mykola Kostynyan, Cofounder, Resident.NGO Justin Albrecht, Global Director of Mobile Threat Intelligence, Lookout Moderator: Mohammed Al-Maskati, Digital Security Helpline Join us to learn and take action to prevent spear-phishing and other digital attacks against activists, journalists, and human rights defenders.
Text that reads: Meet Arzu Geybulla, our new Co-Executive Director at Access Now I am delighted to take on this new role of Co-Executive Director at Access Now. Communities on the frontlines of defending rights, and fighting for accountability and transparency — online and off — are facing sustained and escalating attacks, as powerful global actors retreat from the responsibility they once claimed. [...] In this context, organizations like Access Now must be clear about where we stand: as strong, principled partners that do not sidestep pressure, but instead use our position to support, protect, and amplify the communities most impacted. -Arzu Geybulla
The AI-Cyber Nexus: a strategic dialogue on global security, trust, and governance. February 20, 2026 at 3:30 PM, Chanakya Auditorium, Sushma Swaraj Bhawan. Speakers: Raman Jit Singh Chima, Access Now, Global Cybersecurity Lead; Anne Marie Engtoft Meldgaard, Tech Ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Denmark; Maria Paz Canales, Head of Policy and Advocacy at Global Partners Digital; Udbhav Tiwari, Vice President, Strategy and Global Affairs at Signal; Nikolas Schmidt, Policy Analyst, Division of AI and Emerging Tech at OECD. Moderator: Nirmal John, Senior Editor at Economic Times
High-Level Pre-AI Impact Summit Dialogue: AI, Equity, and Digital Security
This Safer Internet Day, we call for AI tools that respect the privacy, security, and human rights of EVERYONE, especially at-risk communities.
Data protection is a human right image
THANK YOU, GRACIAS, شكرًا لك, DANKE, MERCI, 감사합니다, СПАСИБО, OBRIGADO, ありがとう, 谢谢, አመሰግናለሁ, ASANTENI, ДЯКУЮ ВАМ, धन्यवाद
Our 2026 resolutions include... -Defend privacy -Protect freedom of expression -Keep the internet open + secure -Fight the good fight
Text says: From Palestine to Myanmar, digital dictators are silencing voices, spreading disinformation, and crushing dissent. Your support helps us keep defending digital rights for all. Fund the good fight — donate today
Different standards,different markets Companies deploy AI tools very differently across markets. How fast –and how safely– they roll out new tools often depend on how much the existing regulations in respective jurisdictions lets them get away with. Take Meta AI on Whatsapp: its launch was delayed in the EU due to regulatory intervention by the Irish Data Protection Commission, and even then the feature came with restrictions on data collection and processing. The technology, meanwhile, was deployed in other regions with little to no notice and a complicated opt out process.
Title: The relationship between AI and data protection Subheading: AI is expanding fast — and so are the risks to human rights. Here’s what you need to know ▶️
VOICE 📍 Bangladesh VOICE focuses on building the capacity of journalists and human rights defenders, particularly women human rights defenders and youth activists, by providing training on digital safety, human rights-based reporting, and privacy and data protection. These activities have established VOICE as a leader on media freedom, digital rights, and online safety, strengthening the digital ecosystem. Access Now has been supporting their vital work for two years.
KRYSS Network 📍 Malaysia KRYSS Network works with young people on issues of freedom of opinion and expression, focused on girls, women, and gender non-conforming individuals. Access Now has been supporting their vital work for five years.
Nubian Rights Forum 📍Kenya Via community-led advocacy and strategic litigation efforts, Nubian Rights Forum works to dismantle systemic barriers facing Kenya’s most marginalized communities, especially members of the Nubian ethnic minority, with a focus on citizenship, statelessness, and land rights. Access Now has been supporting their vital work for five years.
Haki na Sheria 📍Kenya Haki na Sheria works to end systemic discrimination against marginalized communities in Northern Kenya, with a focus on statelessness and digital ID, legal and digital invisibility, and biometric purgatory. Access Now has been supporting their vital work for six years.
TITLE: Access Now Grants: Meet the Community Defenders SUBTITLE: Access Now 10 years
In the photo: sketch in shades of brown, red, and white depicting people attempting to use their mobile devices inside their homes, which also resemble labyrinths.
Sursiendo 📍Mexico Sursiendo works at the intersection of activism, alternative media and design, free software and culture, and grassroots education, to support organizations fighting for climate and environmental justice, and defending the rights of Indigenous, migrant, and disappeared people. Access Now has been supporting their vital work for eight years
DIG/SEC Initiative 📍 Uganda DIG/SEC Initiative provides digital safety and security technical assistance and support to at-risk grassroots journalists, activists, and human rights defenders. Access Now has been supporting their vital work for six years.
Vita Activa 📍 Chile Vita Activa is a helpline for journalists, activists, human rights defenders, women, and LGBTQ+ people facing online gender-based violence (OGBV), trauma, and burnout in Latin America and beyond. Access Now has been supporting their vital work for six years.
TITLE: Access Now Grants: Meet the Digital First Aiders SUBTITLE: Access Now 10 years
Baige cover, a phone icon with war planes and a text with red background says: War profiteers: Online ads and the machinery of propaganda for war Access Now logo
Social Media can't keep profiting from war propaganda!
Dont let digital dictators decide the future of the internet. Fund the good fight Donate to Access Now