Access Now

Access Now

@accessnow.org

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

1.2K followers 48 following378 posts

Barcelona, fins de seguida! Our team will be at the Mozilla Festival 2026, October 28–30, and we can't wait to see you there. Join us to explore AI's challenges to digital security, rethink tech sovereignty, and imagine a digital future that puts people and their rights first.

Here’s where to find us: - Digital Security and AI | Oct. 28, 10 AM, B3 Room - Tech Sovereignty in the WANA Region: Reimagining Our Realities | Oct. 28, 12:30, B3 Room - Wilding AI: community-centered principles for community-owned digital futures | Oct. 28, 4:45 PM, E1 Stage ⬇️

-Convening Under Pressure: Rethinking How We Bring Communities Together, Oct. 29, 4:45 PM, E1 Stage + Explore our #KeepItOn installation to learn about our work against internet shutdowns, and say hi to our #RightsConontheRoad team! See you at MozFest! events.mozillafoundation.org

Journalism is not a crime! Access Now joins 100+ civil society organizations and independent media outlets worldwide in standing with Mada Masr Editor-in-Chief Lina Attalah following her referral to trial in Egypt. timep.org/2026/10/23/u...

timep.orgUrgent Global Call Following the Referral of Mada Masr Editor-in-Chief Lina Attalah to Trial - The Tahrir Institute for Middle East PolicyCivil society organizations and independent media outlets condemn the referral of Egyptian journalist and Editor-in-Chief of independent media outlet Mada Masr Lina Attalah to trial.

The World Food Programme cyberattack exposing sensitive data on nearly all of Gaza’s population has implications beyond a single breach. Listen to Marwa Fatafta, Access Now’s MENA Policy and Advocacy Director, on the Rethinking Humanitarianism podcast. www.thenewhumanitarian.org/podcasts/202...

thenewhumanitarian.orgRethinking Humanitarianism | Why the WFP cyber-attack mattersHow the WFP Gaza data breach connects questions about surveillance, the rush for AI solutions, the pursuit of data, and corporate tech partnerships.

“Access Now documents internet shutdowns as civil society faces digital threats,” via Global Society World News. www.globalsociety.earth/post/access-...

globalsociety.earthAccess Now documents internet shutdowns as civil society faces digital threatsEmergency support and shutdown research connect digital rights with access to information and public participation

Join our Co-Executive Director, Arzu Geybulla, at #TrustConference2026 for an on-the-ground look at the evolving cyber threats facing journalists and civil society, and how we must fight back. Register: event.trustconference.com/event/2026/a...

For millions, internet shutdowns have lasted weeks, months, or even years. From Annobón to Myanmar, they isolate communities and hinder documentation of abuses. Learn more in our new blogpost: www.accessnow.org/indefinite-i...

“Judge denies WhatsApp’s bid to hold spyware maker in contempt for allegedly targeting users,” via @therecordmedia.bsky.social therecord.media/whatsapp-den...

therecord.mediaJudge denies WhatsApp’s bid to hold spyware maker in contempt for allegedly targeting usersWhatsApp argued that NSO Group violated a 2025 injunction against using the messaging app to spread spyware. A federal judge said WhatsApp hurt its case by not revealing enough information.

“Israeli ad company helped a spyware firm target Al Jazeera through online ads, researchers say,” via @NBCNews. www.nbcnews.com/tech/securit...

nbcnews.comIsraeli ad company helped a spyware firm target Al Jazeera through online ads, researchers sayResearchers say Discover-Tech used online ads to deliver zero-click spyware, the first public evidence of the technique, with its ads reaching nearly 200,000 websites and apps.

Digital security is about learning, not specific technologies or tools. In our Stronger Together webinar for Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the Digital Security Helpline, Surfshark, and Bluesky discussed how to prioritize civil society's cybersecurity needs. youtu.be/saZk2RIyyxk

youtu.beStronger together: civil society and the private sector as partners in cybersecurity awarenessFor activists, journalists, human rights defenders, and other members of civil society, cybersecurity is a concrete matter that relates to the real-world risks and threats we face as a consequence of…

Pension funds must not turn a blind eye to spyware! Access Now is urging pension funds to avoid exposure to spyware and scrutinize their investments in AE Industrial Partners, the owners of a spyware vendor linked to human rights abuses. Read: www.accessnow.org/press-releas...

Democracy and a crackdown on protesters cannot co-exist! In Delhi, peaceful assembly has been met with mass detentions, mobile internet shutdowns, and orders for social media platforms to prioritise gov’t requests. We ask the gov’t to #KeepItOn and respect human rights. 🔽

Need help? -SFLCin, for free legal help for takedowns, shutdowns and device seizures -https://techsakhi.in/, for women, trans, queer and non-binary people -Digital safety: lnkd.in/p/dfQRyfsq Surveillance self-defense at protests, @EFF: ssd.eff.org/module/atten...

We’re hiring a Financial Reporting Manager! 📢 Join Access Now’s Finance Team to manage financial reporting, budgeting, audits, and operations. English fluency, GAAP knowledge, and NGO experience are required. Candidates must be based in Costa Rica. Apply: accessnow.bamboohr.com/careers/238

accessnow.bamboohr.comFinancial Reporting ManagerThe Organization and Role About Access Now Access Now defends and extends the digital rights of people and communities at risk. As a grassroots-to-global organization, we partner with local actors to…

At least 50 people were reportedly killed and 58 injured in military airstrikes on a busy market in Kyauktaw, Rakhine State, Myanmar. As violence continues, civilians need access to the internet to document + report on abuses + access information. www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...

Myanmar’s regime has detained at least 2,029 people who have used social media to oppose military rule online, since the 2021 coup. Authorities must keep the internet open, and protect people’s right to express and access information. #KeepItOn www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/m...

irrawaddy.comhttps://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-internet-a-dead-zone-after-thousands-arrested-for-regime-criticism.html

People in Tigray told us what it meant to live through a prolonged internet shutdown that began in 2020 and lasted for more than two years. Now, as fighting escalates + connectivity is disrupted again, their stories are a reminder of what is at stake. #KeepItOn www.accessnow.org/15-stories-f...

accessnow.org15 stories from Tigray’s internet siegeIt’s been two years since Tigray were cut off from the internet. Share the 15 stories from Tigrayans and help amplify their voices.

Enough is enough! People in Ethiopia’s Tigray region are once again cut off from the internet + the world, with services disrupted since September 25. The region has already endured a blackout lasting over two years in 2020. It must NOT happen again. www.france24.com/en/live-news...

france24.comHeavy fighting, telecoms disruption as Ethiopia conflict ragesHeavy fighting took place on multiple fronts between Ethiopian forces and rebel groups on Friday, while a telecoms disruption raised fears in Tigray of a return to the devastating blockade the…

As fighting escalates in Tigray, shutdowns can further isolate people, prevent the documentation of human rights abuses, and exacerbate humanitarian crises. Authorities must immediately stop weaponizing internet access in Tigray and #KeepItOn.

We marked the International Day for Universal Access to Information, emphasizing what’s at the heart of our work: informed communities with access to the information they need to make choices and engage fully in society. Help us keep fighting the good fight; donate today: accessnow.org/donate

120,000+ cameras. 49 US states. A searchable record of where people go. In a new op-ed, Michael De Dora and Maria Villegas Bravo examine Flock’s mass surveillance network, and the risks it poses to privacy, security, and rights. Read more 🔽 www.techpolicy.press/a-flock-of-p...

techpolicy.pressA Flock of Problems with Mass SurveillanceFlock cameras are part of a larger problem whereby governments are deputizing private companies for surveillance, write Michael De Dora & Maria Villegas Bravo.

As we mark Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we invite you to join us for a conversation about the current cybersecurity landscape, the threats we’re seeing, and how we can work together to build greater resilience in the digital age. Register 🔽 www.accessnow.org/event/digita...

From RightsCon Continues 🔥 Felicia Anthonio, our #KeepItOn Global Campaign Manager, dives into a decade of movement-building against internet shutdowns in this Fireside Chat, featuring representatives from 7amleh, Vodafone, Calendrys, and more. Watch the recording on the platform.

From RightsCon Continues 🔥 Join Naro Omo-Osagie, Africa Policy and Advocacy Manager at Access Now, for a Fireside Chat on movement-building against digital authoritarianism and transnational repression, featuring experts from Myanmar Internet Project, WITNESS, and +. Watch it on the platform.

From RightsCon Continues 🔥 Join Daniel Leufer, our Senior Policy Analyst, for a multi-stakeholder discussion on inclusive global AI governance, featuring representatives from @Signal, the Swiss Federal Office of Communications, the government of Ghana, and +. Don’t miss out!

From RightsCon Continues 🔥 Bridget Andere, Senior Policy Analyst at Access Now, joins the first RightsCon Continues Fireside Chat to discuss protecting freedom of assembly and association in Africa with experts from Change Tanzania, AfricTivistes, and more. Don’t miss out!

From RightsCon Continues Mohammed Al-Maskati, Digital Security Helpline Director at Access Now, and Palestinian tech and human rights activists unpack how biometric surveillance and AI-driven targeting function as tools of war and occupation. Don’t miss out — jump onto the platform and join us!

From RightsCon Continues 🔥 Natalia Krapiva, Senior Tech-Legal Counsel at Access Now, dives into the political influence of the commercial spyware industry with experts from Deakin University, Reporters Without Borders, and more. Don’t miss out — jump onto the platform and join us!

Join Alejandro Mayoral Baños, our Co-Executive Director, at RightsCon Continues for “From Surveillance to Governance: Recentering Human Rights in the UN AI Agenda” to explore how we can put digital rights at the heart of the UN AI agenda. 📅 Sep 23 | 4:45 am CEST rightscon.summit.tc/catalog/righ...

Join @djleufer.bsky.social, our Senior Policy Analyst, and experts from Signal, the UK AI Security Institute, Diversa + the Swiss Federal Office of Communications at RightsCon Continues for a chat on rights-respecting AI governance. 📅 Sep 22 | 9:15 pm CEST rightscon.summit.tc/catalog/righ...

How do we protect civic space in the digital age? Join @bridgeta.bsky.social for “Safeguarding Civic Space in the Digital Age: Protecting Freedom of Assembly and Association in Africa” at RightsCon Continues to learn more. 📅 Sep 22 | 5:30 pm CEST rightscon.summit.tc/catalog/righ...

Join Access Now and Deakin University for “Spyware’s Corridors of Power: The Political Influence of the Commercial Spyware Industry” at RightsCon Continues to explore the commercial spyware industry and its political influence. 📅 Sep 22 | 4:15 pm CEST rightscon.summit.tc/catalog/righ...

Join Access Now and @7amleh.bsky.social for “Surveillance as Warfare: Biometric Control, AI Targeting, and Corporate Complicity in Palestine” at RightsCon Continues — discussing biometric surveillance, AI targeting + corporate involvement. 📅 Sep 22 | 4:15 pm CEST rightscon.summit.tc/catalog/righ...

The Kremlin must restore access to a free and secure internet now! Elections without access to the internet are neither free nor fair. As parliamentary elections unfold in Russia, authorities must drop the digital iron curtain + respect citizens' right to stay informed. #KeepItOn

Помогите отследить отключения проводного интернета во время выборов в России - скачайте SONAR PC для проверки ограничений сети. github.com/RunetMonitor...

github.comhttps://github.com/RunetMonitor/SONAR/archive/refs/heads/main.zip

Join us during UNGA81 to discuss the need for centering human rights within the UN AI agenda. This event will bring experts together to explore strategies against rising surveillance and identify actions stakeholders can take to achieve these goals. Register: www.accessnow.org/event/unga81...

A huge win for accountability and human rights! After years of ignoring calls to respect human rights in its operations in Myanmar, Telenor is now facing charges of crimes against humanity and sanctions violations. @justiceformyanmar.org

accessnow.orgIgnore human rights risks, face the consequences: Telenor under investigation for crimes against humanity in Myanmar - Access NowFor years, Access Now and civil society have raised the alarm over Telenor’s hasty and irresponsible departure from Myanmar and the potential human rights abuses should Telenor sell its Myanmar…

How will AI shape the world over the next five years? Alejandro Mayoral Baños, our Co-ED, spoke to @chathamhouse.org about the role of power and inequality in shaping who controls and benefits from AI. Read the full piece 🔽 www.chathamhouse.org/publications...

chathamhouse.orgHow AI could change the worldArtificial intelligence is developing rapidly and threatens to transform politics, economics and societies. How should it be regulated? Are significant job losses inevitable? Should countries try to…

Canada’s Bill C-22 could put privacy worldwide at risk by expanding surveillance powers + metadata retention that reach beyond Canada. We urge European policymakers to demand that the Canadian gov’t protect end-to-end encryption + people’s data. www.accessnow.org/press-releas...

accessnow.orgThe EU must act now to protect privacy and encryption from Canada’s overreaching Bill C-22 - Access NowAccess Now, alongside several European civil society organisations, are urging Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, European Union commissioners, and members of the European Par...

Access Now is a 2026 EFF Award winner! 🏆🎉 We’re proud to receive this recognition alongside @7amleh, DeFlock, and New Media Rights for our work advancing digital rights and defending people’s freedom in the digital age. Huge thanks to @EFF for this honor. 💚

We can only do this work with your help. 💚 Your support allows us to keep pushing back — for privacy, free expression, and digital rights everywhere. Fund the good fight: accessnow.org/donate

Nas próximas eleições presidenciais no Brasil, seus dados pessoais podem ser usados para descobrir o que você pensa, seus medos e quais postagens têm mais chances de convencer você. Leia mais: www.accessnow.org/publication/...

Access Now’s Daniel Leufer spoke to POLITICO about the EU’s decision to regulate ChatGPT as a search engine. He argues that its designation under the DSA provides an opportunity for more scrutiny on OpenAI’s content moderation practices. Read more: www.politico.eu/article/new-...

politico.euHey EU, your new rules for ChatGPT don’t cover chatThe world’s most popular chatbot is now under Europe’s stringent regulatory purview. But classifying it as a search engine leaves many of its core functionalities uncovered.

Our Digital Security Helpline Director, @mohdmaskati.bsky.social, joins Somewhere on Earth to unpack Apple’s spyware warnings, digital forensics, and how to build safer digital practices in an era of increasingly sophisticated spyware. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...

podcasts.apple.comAI Medical Devices: Are We Using Them Before We Know They Work?Podcast Episode · Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast · September 1 · 23m

On July 27, 2026, the UK Supreme Court ruled that Bahrain cannot claim immunity over the hacking of Bahraini dissidents’ devices with FinSpy spyware. The ruling could have major implications for digital transnational repression. Read more: www.lawfaremedia.org/article/u.k....

lawfaremedia.orgU.K. Supreme Court Opens Door for Spyware Victims to Sue Foreign StatesThe Kingdom of Bahrain cannot claim immunity from a suit by exiled dissidents over harm caused by spyware surveillance on U.K. soil.

The Sound of the Silenced: Inside the ten-year global fight to keep the internet on www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-priv...

techradar.comThe Sound of the Silenced: Inside the ten-year global fight to keep the internet onDigital rights group Access Now is marking the 10th anniversary of its #KeepItOn campaign by giving voice to those affected by internet shutdowns

Apple has long warned users about potential spyware attacks, and is now placing alerts directly on devices’ Lock Screen and in Settings, making them harder to miss. Here’s what you need to know about what they mean for your digital security.

Remember, security isn’t a state you reach; it’s a practice you keep! Read more ▶️ www.accessnow.org/apple-threat...

“‘Unprecedented’ number of Apple users received recent spyware alert, say investigators.” By @techcrunch.com. techcrunch.com/2026/08/17/u...

techcrunch.com‘Unprecedented’ number of Apple users received recent spyware alert, say investigators | TechCrunchCybersecurity experts who investigate spyware attacks say the number of people who received a recent threat notification from Apple is unusually high.