Access Now at the 11th edition of CIPESA’s FIFAfrica
2024-09-25 09:00 - 2024-09-27 18:00 (Africa/Dakar) | United Nations Headquarters
Radisson Blu Hotel, Dakar Sea Plaza in Dakar, Senegal

The Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), in partnership with Dakar-based AfricTivistes, will host the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2024 (FIFAfrica24) set to take place on September 25-27, 2024 in Senegal.

Over the past decade, the FIFAfrica conference has provided a space and garnered a track record of bringing together multi-stakeholder actors and shared efforts aimed at advancing rights, freedoms, participation, and innovation in the digital sphere.

Hosting the 11th edition of FIFAfrica in Senegal provides an avenue for civil society actors to engage with the current Senegalese government as well as other relevant actors in improving the human rights landscape in the country while exploring ways to advance digital rights in the country.

Senegal saw a deterioration of human rights in the last couple of years with increased reports of attacks on press freedom, a crackdown on opposition voices, both online and off, and the arbitrary arrest and detention of protesters in the lead up to the country’s elections. In 2023, Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition recorded four incidents of shutdowns in a government attempt to muzzle free speech, control the flow of information, and crack down on anti-government protests in the country.

Access Now is a key partner of CIPESA and continues to actively participate in FIFAfrica to strengthen our partnership and expand our network within Africa and beyond. In view of this, we are happy to be hosting and participating in this year’s FIFAfrica.

Below are some of the events Access Now staff will be hosting or participating in at FIFAfrica24.

For those who cannot join in person, you can follow the hashtag #FIFAfrica24 on social media for details about how to engage virtually.

Check out the official website for more information about the event.

Registration details

Thursday and Friday, September 26 – 27, 2024

Digital Security Clinic | Access Now, CIPESA, Defenders Protection Initiative (DPI), Internews Network Zambia, 09:00 – 17:00 UTC

Access Now’s exhibition booth, 09:00 – 17:00 UTC at the Exhibition Center

Thursday, September 26, 2024

Benchmarking AI regulations – Assessing Sub-Saharan Africa’s alignment with international norms | CIPIT, Thomson Reuters Foundation and MISA Zimbabwe, 11:30-13:00 UTC at Adansonia

CIPESA and Access Now FIFAfrica24 Cocktail event

Friday, September 27, 2024

Beyond staying or going: Sudan’s insights on the future of digital rights in conflict zones, 14:00 – 15:30 UTC at Mermoz

Prolonged shutdowns: An analysis of the silenced voices in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia
2024-10-29 14:00 - 15:30 (Africa/Accra)
Following the outbreak of conflict between the Amhara Fano and the Ethiopian military in the spring of 2023, the Ethiopian government declared a state of emergency and implemented a telecommunication blackout in the Amhara region starting in August 2023. These shutdowns have raised significant concerns about their impact on human rights, economic development, access to information, and civil society’s ability to function. The Amhara region, already facing challenges related to conflict, poverty, and displacement, has been further impacted by these restrictions on digital communication. The broader conflict in Northern Ethiopia, initially concentrated in Tigray but later spreading to Amhara, has exacerbated vulnerabilities and limited the capacity of local communities to respond to the crises.

This webinar seeks to explore the multifaceted consequences of internet shutdowns in the Amhara region, providing a platform for experts, activists, and scholars to share insights, experiences, and strategies for mitigating these impacts. The discussion will focus on the human rights, socio-economic, and political implications of shutdowns, as well as potential pathways for ensuring that digital rights are respected even in times of crisis.

Objectives

To Highlight Access Now’s research outputs and Amhara Association of America’s (AAA) investigative reports on the situation on the ground.

To analyze the socio-economic impact of internet shutdowns in the Amhara region, focusing on how these measures affect local businesses, education, and public services.

To discuss the human rights implications of internet shutdowns, including the suppression of freedom of expression, access to information, and the ability to work.

To explore strategies for advocating against these shutdowns and appealing the government to restore full connectivity in the region.

Speakers

Henok Abebe – Human Rights Researcher and Advocate

Hone Mandefro Belaye – Advocacy Director, Amhara Association of America

Dr. Yohannes Enyew Ayalew – Academic and Digital Human Rights Researcher

Agerie, Program Coordinator for Africa

Kulsuma Nur, Researcher

Moderator: Felicia Anthonio, #KeepItOn Campaign Manager, Access Now

X handles:

Hone Mandefro @HoMan99

Yohannes Eneyew Ayalew @yeayalew

Amhara Association of Amhara Association of America(AAA) የዐማራ ማህበር በአሜሪካ @AAA_Amhara

Watch the discussion

Hosted by:

Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2024: when digital rights collide with digital oppression
2024-12-13 16:00 - 17:30 (Europe/Berlin)
Saudi Arabia has a longstanding record of human rights violations, and in recent years, its digital authoritarianism has escalated to unprecedented and dangerous levels, including repression of free speech, persecution of human rights defenders, and severe restrictions on access to information. While the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2024 aims to promote multi-stakeholder and critical discussions on digital rights and the future of the internet, the decision to host the forum in a country with such egregious human rights violations and no civic space has raised grave concerns among civil society and activists about their ability to safely and meaningfully participate in the IGF discussions, with calls for a change of the host country and some organizations opting to boycott the event.

While the Saudi authorities weaponize international fora such as the IGF to promote a facade of tolerance and progress and to white-wash their abuses, it is more critical than shed light on the country’s rising digital repression. In response, this event will bring together Saudi activists, human rights organizations, and digital rights advocates to examine the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia. It will highlight the ethical concerns surrounding IGF 2024 and amplify the voices calling for the protection of human rights in digital spaces, particularly in countries with a history of abuses.

Objectives

Raise awareness about the human rights crisis in Saudi Arabia, with a particular focus on digital repression including the escalating crackdown on freedom of expression online, surveillance and the use of spyware to target activists and dissidents, and the persecution and arbitrary detention of activists and journalists.

Examine the ethical implications of hosting the IGF in Saudi Arabia and discuss the paths forward to an inclusive IGF where civil society members can safely and meaningfully participate in important discussions about the future of the internet

Amplify the voices of Saudi activists and human rights defenders directly impacted by the regime’s policies.

Mobilize international solidarity and explore how the global community can advocate for greater accountability for Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations, especially as IGF 2024 approaches.

Defining short-term and long-term plans for actions taken up by all stakeholders to bring about a peaceful change in the Kingdom.

Speakers

Yahya Assiri – Saudi Arabian human rights activist (ALQST)

Michael Page – Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Division (HRW)

Dr. Hala Al-Dosari – Saudi human rights activist, scholar, and writer

Areej Al-Sadhan – Saudi human rights activist sister of political detainee Abdulrahman Al-Sadhan.

Moderator: Marwa Fatafta, MENA Policy and Advocacy Director

Watch the discussion

Hosted by:

Lanzamiento del informe "Privacidad en desplazamiento migratorio" de la Coalición latinoamericana #MigrarSinVigilancia
2024-12-18 09:00 - 10:30 (America/Mexico_City)
La Coalición latinoamericana #MigrarSinVigilancia te invita este 18 de diciembre – día Internacional de la Persona Migrante – al lanzamiento del informe “Privacidad en desplazamiento migratorio. Un diagnóstico sobre la vigilancia, protección de datos y seguridad digital en lugares de acogida de personas migrantes en México. Basado en testimonios.”

El miércoles 18 de diciembre a las 9 AM (hora México) tendremos un evento en línea de lanzamiento, dirigido a investigadores, organizaciones, personas y grupos con interés en aprender más sobre la protección de los derechos digitales y la seguridad digital de albergues, refugios y lugares de acogida de personas migrantes en México.

Sobre el informe

El informe brinda hallazgos obtenidos de los testimonios de diez albergues distribuidos a lo largo del norte, centro y sur de México. Es el resultado de una evaluación de riesgos relacionadas a prácticas de vigilancia y la vulneración de datos personales en contexto migratorio de México, así como de medidas de seguridad para mitigarlos.

Este informe busca facilitar información basándose en las experiencias de las personas que brindan apoyo en terreno a las personas en tránsito, y sugerir rutas de acción para un futuro trabajo colaborativo, donde se puedan atender las necesidades identificadas.

Sobre la Coalición #MigrarSinVigilancia

La coalición #MigrarSinVigilancia está conformada actualmente por más de 30 organizaciones de la sociedad civil organizada con presencia en América Latina. Funciona como un frente común para resguardar los derechos humanos de las personas migrantes a partir de la protección de sus datos personales.

La coalición es apartidista, inclusiva y sin fines de lucro. Más información en: https://www.accessnow.org/campaign/migrarsinvigilancia/

Speakers:

Ximena Mendieta, Asesora de proyectos en el área de Investigación, Centro LATAM Digital

Ángela Alarcón, LAC Campaigner, Access Now

Kathy Kruger, Coordinadora del Programa de Niños No Acompañados, Al Otro Lado.

Santiago Narváez, Oficial de investigación, Red en Defensa de los Derechos Digitales (R3D)

Si te lo perdiste, acá lo puedes ver

Organizado por:

Coalición Latinoamericana

RightsCon 2025, Taipei and online
2025-02-24 08:00 - 2025-02-27 16:15 (Asia/Taipei) | Taipei International Convention Center
Venue: Taipei International Convention Center

Each year, RightsCon convenes business leaders, policy makers, general counsels, government representatives, technologists, academics, journalists, and human rights advocates from around the world to tackle pressing issues at the intersection of human rights and technology. In engaging fireside chats, hands-on workshops, strategic roundtables, private meetings, and a lively exhibition space, RightsCon is where a global movement comes together to build strategies and drive forward change toward a more free, open, and connected digital world.

Over the past 12 years, RightsCon has rotated to key hubs around the world, including San José, Tunis, Toronto, Brussels, Rio de Janeiro, Manila, and San Francisco, and grown, both in size and in scope to meet the evolving needs of a movement.

For its 13th edition, we’re excited to host RightsCon 2025 in Taipei and online from February 24 to 27. As a leading democracy in the region, Taiwan is recognized globally for the freest online environment and greatest human freedom in Asia, a whole-of-society approach to human rights, and a vibrant civil society community. As the routine location of large-scale international events, coupled with the rapidly growing presence of international NGOs and global tech companies, we look forward to hosting our first summit in East Asia in Taipei and returning to the Asia Pacific region after a decade.

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Hosted by:

Situation of Press Freedom in Tunisia
2025-05-05 08:00 - 13:00 (Europe/Paris) | Hotel Golden Tulip Mechtel, Tunis, Tunisia
In September 2022, Tunisia adopted its first cybercrime law, which diverges significantly from international standards due to its inclusion of content-based offenses and disproportionate sanctions. Article 24 of the law criminalizes the sharing, sending, or publishing of false information, defamatory content, or other forms of expression using vague and overly broad language. It imposes severe penalties ranging from 5 to 10 years in prison, raising serious concerns about its impact on freedom of expression.

Article 24 has been widely used as a legal tool to prosecute journalists, lawyers, and human rights defenders, contributing to the suppression of media diversity, encouraging self-censorship, and discouraging public engagement in democratic debate.

One panel will focus on the recent legislative proposal to amend the cybercrime decree, exploring how to align it with international standards and instruments such as the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime and the UN Cybercrime Treaty, which is expected to open for signatures later this year.

Another panel will examine the opportunities and challenges posed by artificial intelligence, with a focus on how journalists and media outlets can leverage AI tools while safeguarding journalistic ethics, copyright protections, and other fundamental rights.

Hosted by:

Strategic Workshop of the DSA Human Rights Alliance
2025-05-05 16:00 - 18:00 (Europe/Brussels) | Digital Rights Hub (Access Now Europe Office), Rue Belliard 12, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
With shrinking civic space, limited funding, and a general democratic decline in the EU and beyond, at-risk communities, including HRDs and exiled media, are becoming increasingly vulnerable online. Human rights defenders act as custodians of human rights. Online platforms often serve as their lifeline for accessing necessary information to continue their advocacy efforts. Nevertheless, HRDs encounter significant threats online, such as malicious cyber activities, online censorship, targeted internet shutdowns, arbitrary or unlawful online surveillance, harassment, smear campaigns, disinformation, and doxxing. While online platforms need heightened due diligence and implement adequate safeguards for HRD safety, the current state of the art remains inadequate.

The DSA human rights alliance strategic meeting will gather alliance members—civil society organizations defending digital rights and communities at risk globally—to strategize and explore methodologies to protect existing positions and advance a common agenda against an increasingly adversarial environment in the EU and beyond.

Hosted by:

Inter-American approach to the AI international regulatory landscape
2025-05-06 16:00 - 18:00 (Europe/Brussels) | Digital Rights Hub (Access Now Europe Office), Rue Belliard 12, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
Depending on the context, the word “regulation” could be seen as a threat since it could imply an incompatibility with innovation and the deployment of emerging technologies such as AI. Even when AI has a good potential to safely support access to goods, justice, and public space, its development should raise the attention of policymakers and justice stakeholders to the risks it implies for human rights, law enforcement, and efficient access to the judicial system.

This session will explore key AI trends in these topics (access to social services, information integrity, law enforcement, and judicial activities), examining whether current approaches respect human rights, uphold state sovereignty, and address environmental impacts. It will provide an in-depth analysis of existing regulations and judicial decisions on AI and the Rule of Law in Latin America vis-à-vis the international regulatory landscape (e.g., UNESCO’s guidelines, European AI Act), focusing on mitigation strategies for human rights impacts.

Discussing regulatory and anti-regulatory approaches, case studies, and regional experiences with AI impacts on human rights, we will provide guidance on the relevant regional and international human rights laws, principles, and emerging jurisprudence that are useful to shape regulations, policies, and practices related to AI that are compatible with human rights and democratic institutions.

Hosted by:

Access Now at Web Summit Vancouver
2025-05-28 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Vancouver)
May 27 – May 30

Vancouver Convention Centre (1055 Canada Pl, Vancouver, BC V6C 0C3, Canada)

In May 2025, thousands of international entrepreneurs, investors, media outlets, and leaders will convene at Web Summit Vancouver. Dubbed the “world’s premier tech conference” and “Glastonbury for geeks,” the summit is expected to gather over 15,000 attendees from the world’s tech community. Access Now will attend and participate, bringing to bear our unique perspective of the intersection between human rights and technology.

Check out the official website for more information about the event.

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Freedom on the line: Why digital rights matter | Access Now | 16:00

The U.S. administration’s decision to freeze all foreign aid is only the latest in a series of developments that herald a significant downturn in funding for human rights, triggering deep and foundational crises for civil society globally. This session will highlight the current and emerging challenges for digital rights specifically, and a path forward.

REGISTRATION DETAILS

The Digital Rights in Asia-Pacific Assembly (DRAPAC) 2025
2025-08-26 10:00 - 2025-08-28 17:30 (Asia/Kuala_Lumpur)
AICB Centre for Excellence, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Digital Rights in Asia-Pacific Assembly (DRAPAC) 2025 is a pivotal gathering of digital rights advocates, policymakers, and tech experts dedicated to discussing and addressing pressing digital rights issues in the Asia Pacific region.

Below are some of the events Access Now will be joining:

Day 1, 26 August

Tending to the network: the regional scene of digital security support

4:00pm–5:20pm, Kuala Lumpur time | Human Rights Tech Commons Southwest Corner, Second Floor, AICB Centre for Excellence

This social gathering brings together digital security support specialists from across the region to connect and discuss shared experiences and struggles. It is open to anyone providing digital security support to human rights defenders in the region, whether you’re a trainer, researcher, helpline staff, etc. The aim is to create a space where participants can surface their needs, intentions, and potential or future plans where others can support. Hosted by Digital Defenders Partnership (DDP) and Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline.

Day 2, 27 August

Digging deeper: how to embed infrastructure considerations within our work

10:00am–10:50am, Kuala Lumpur time | Theatrette 1.12, First Floor, AICB Centre for Excellence

Digital infrastructure decisions — regarding everything from data centers and cloud architecture to internet exchange points and submarine cables — have deep implications for rights, equity, and resilience. This session will explore why civil society must grapple with the politics of infrastructure and how to do so effectively. Featuring Darika Bamrungchok, Asia Pacific Policy Analyst at Access Now, who will surface regional case studies and entry points for advocacy collaboration.

Designing rights-respecting, culturally sensitive and inclusive DPI

11:00am–11:50am, Kuala Lumpur time | Room 2.12, Second Floor, AICB Centre for Excellence

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is foundational, but without rights-centered design, it can entrench exclusion or surveillance. This ideation workshop spotlights inclusive DPI frameworks tailored to cultural contexts across Asia‑Pacific. Raman Jit Singh Chima, Asia Pacific Policy Director at Access Now, will join the conversation to discuss strategies for embedding rights-based policymaking into DPI rollouts and policy frameworks.

From Vienna to Hanoi: how the UN Convention against Cybercrime will reshape Asia-Pacific

12:00pm–12:50pm, Kuala Lumpur time | Room 2.12, Second Floor, AICB Centre for Excellence

The UN Cybercrime Convention, recently adopted after years of negotiations, is poised to impact national laws and enforcement practices across the region. This session will unpack the treaty’s implications for rights, sovereignty, and cybersecurity in Asia-Pacific, and explore how civil society can engage with implementation processes. Hosted by Access Now, the panel includes Faiz Naeem, Asia Pacific Program Associate at Access Now, Raman Jit Singh Chima, Asia Pacific Policy Director at Access Now, Michael Caster, Head of Global China Programme at Article 19, and Sanhawan (Kay) Srisod, Senior Legal Adviser at ICJ

Future of Digital Rights in ASEAN – consultation on Cybersecurity, Digital Economy, and Artificial Intelligence

12:00pm–12:50pm, Kuala Lumpur time | Room 2.12, Second Floor, AICB Centre for Excellence

As ASEAN develops frameworks on cybersecurity, AI, and digital trade, human rights must remain central. This roundtable consultation brings together civil society voices and policy thinkers to align advocacy strategies and enhance regional participation. It features Laura Naw, East Asia and ASEAN Programme Officer at FORUM‑ASIA, Rachel Arinii Judhistari, Lead Public Policy Speacialist Asia at Wikimedia Foundation, Darika Bamrungchok Asia Pacific Policy Analyst at Access Now, and Lorenzo Urbinati, Strategic Adviser at Oxfam, convened by Oxfam International alongside co‑hosts Wikimedia Foundation, FORUM‑ASIA, EngageMedia, and Access Now.

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Access Now at the 12th edition of CIPESA’s FIFAfrica
2025-09-24 09:00 - 2025-09-26 17:30 (Africa/Windhoek)
Windhoek International Convention Center, Windhoek, Namibia

The Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2025 (#FIFAfrica25), hosted by the Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) in partnership with Namibia’s Ministry of ICT and the Namibia IGF, will take place in Windhoek, Namibia, 24-26 September, 2025.

Since its inception in 2014, FIFAfrica has provided a vital platform for multistakeholder dialogue and collaboration on advancing digital rights across the continent.

Access Now continues to participate at FIFAfrica to strengthen our partnerships in the region and engage on key areas of our work.

Here’s where you can find Access Now at FIFAFrica25:

REGISTRATION DETAILS

Tuesday 23 – Thursday 25 September, 2025

Africa Cybersecurity Advocacy workshop | Internet Society (ISOC) Global Encryption Coalition (GEC) 09:00 – 17:00 daily

[Workshop session] Africa’s encryption landscape: how African governments undermine the use of encryption | CIPESA & Access Now| Tuesday 23 September 2025 16:30 – 17:30

About: Access Now will join ISOC, CIPESA and other partner organizations of the Global Encryption Coalition to host a three-day cybersecurity advocacy workshop on the sidelines of FIFAfrica25. The workshop is designed to equip encryption advocates with the knowledge and skills to fight anti-encryption legislation and address other evolving threats to encryption across the continent.

Thursday 25 September, 2025

Book launch: Internet shutdowns in Africa | 25 September 9:30 – 11:00 📍Brandberg

Join us and our partners for the launch of a new book, Internet shutdowns in Africa: Technology, Rights and Power, produced by African authors from 11 countries — including Access Now’s Kassem Mnejja, Senior MENA Campaigner, and Felicia Anthonio, #KeepItOn Global Campaign Manager — showcasing the most comprehensive documentation to date of the incidents of internet shutdowns in the selected countries. In this session, authors will unpack how and why shutdowns are imposed, and their impact on peoples’ social, economic and political rights in Uganda, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Sudan, Nigeria, Chad, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Algeria, and Zimbabwe. This is the first book of its kind dedicated to analysing internet shutdowns in Africa, as well as various forms of resistance that citizens across Africa are using to circumvent, challenge, and end internet shutdowns. It is also the first book to include a comprehensive analysis of the power interests that give rise to internet shutdowns. This session will also engage with participants to share experiences and observations on the subject matter, and connect with the authors. There will be copies of the book available for purchase and download.

Book contributors:

Kassem Mnejja, Access Now, Senior MENA Campaigner

Felicia Anthonio, Access Now, #KeepItOn Global Campaign Manager

Friday 26 September, 2025

Panel: Data protection and cybersecurity in Africa: multi-country insights on key issues and opportunities for strengthening human rights protections | OXFAM and Access Now 08:30 AM – 10:00 AM 📍Kuiseb Hall.About: OXFAM and Access Now are hosting a panel discussion to explore key issues and opportunities for strengthening human rights protections in cyber policy and data protection implementation across Africa. The panel will feature speakers from Tunisia, Somalia, Kenya, and Nigeria.

Panel: #KeepItOn: Resisting internet shutdowns during conflict and turmoil – lessons from across Africa | Access Now and AWAFY Sudanese Organization 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM 📍Omatako 4About: This session explores how governments across Africa deploy internet shutdowns as tools of repression during conflict and political instability. With a focus on the prolonged weaponization of blackouts and internet shutdowns during times of conflict in Sudan and Ethiopia’s Tigray region, as well as insights from Equatorial Guinea and Senegal, the session offers strategies for resistance, advocacy, and legal pushback, centering local voices from these countries.

Access Now at India AI Impact Summit 2026
2026-02-16 00:00 - 2026-02-20 23:59 (Asia/Kolkata)
Bharat Mandapam

The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is a high-profile international event involving heads of state and government, ministers, senior government officials, international delegations, industry leaders, media, and general delegates. Building on the momentum of previous multilateral initiatives, including the Bletchley Park, Seoul, Paris, and Kigali Summits, the AI Impact Summit is envisaged to mark a shift from aspirations to impact, demonstrating how AI can deliver tangible outcomes for people, planet, and progress.

Below are some of the events Access Now will be joining at the India AI Impact Summit:

19 February

Fireside chat and high-level reception

7:30 pm onwards, Indian Standard Time | Fountain Lawn, India International Centre Main Building

Access Now, along with Aapti Institute and AI Now, is hosting an evening that steps away from the formal summit agenda and into a sharp, thoughtful, and candid exchange about where AI is headed and what is being left unsaid in official rooms. The centerpiece is a fireside chat bringing together three exceptional voices:

Brando Benifei, Member of the European Parliament and a key architect of the EU AI Act;

Karen Hao, the award-winning journalist and author of “Empire of AI,” whose reporting has deeply shaped our understanding of power and technology; and

Seema Chishti, Editor of The Wire, known for her incisive political analysis and journalism.

Together, they will reflect on AI, governance, and power in a provocative conversation designed to cut through the usual rhetoric and get to the real tensions shaping our digital future. Following the discussion, we will host an informal networking reception from 9:00 PM onwards. We know schedules are packed, so please feel free to join for the full discussion or simply stop by for the reception.

20 February

The AI-Cyber Nexus: A Strategic Dialogue on Global Security, Trust, and Governance

3:30 pm–4:25 pm, Indian Standard Time | Chanakya Auditorium, Sushma Swaraj Bhawan

Access Now and Global Partners Digital are co-organising this session at the India AI Impact Summit to move the conversation beyond hype and headlines toward real policy, real risks, and real choices. Rather than treating AI and cybersecurity as separate worlds, this discussion brings them together, asking what it actually means to build AI that is secure, trustworthy, and rights-respecting in practice.

This session aims to propose a technically grounded conversation on the cybersecurity implications of large language models and agentic AI. Using the confidentiality-integrity-availability (CIA) framework, it will explore how advanced AI tools impact privacy, encryption, information integrity, and resilience of critical services. Instead of abstract warnings, panelists will draw on concrete experience from cybersecurity and AI governance to identify what governments, companies, and civil society should do, and what they should avoid.

The panel will open by remarks from Access Now’s Executive Director, Alejandro Mayoral Banos, and will be moderated by Nirmal John, Senior Editor at Economic Times. Panelists include Access Now’s Global Cybersecurity Lead, Raman Jit Singh Chima; 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; and Nikolas Schmidt Policy Analyst, Division of AI and Emerging Tech at OECD.

Note: This session is a part of the official agenda for the AI Impact Summit and requires registration with the event.

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The Fireside chat and high level reception (19th Feb – 7:30 PM onwards)

The AI-Cyber Nexus: A Strategic Dialogue on Global Security, Trust, and Governance (20th Feb – 3:30 to 4:30 PM)

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Advancing Rights-Centered reporting on Nigeria's Cybercrimes Act
2026-04-21 13:00 - 14:30 (Africa/Lagos)
Since Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act was passed in 2015, more than two dozen journalists, human rights defenders and whistleblowers have been targeted by authorities, using overbroad prohibitions on “cyberstalking” to punish critical online speech and silence opposition voices.

Alongside Human Rights Journalists Network, Socio Economic Rights & Accountability Project (SERAP), and Avocats Sans Frontiers Nigeria (E-Rights Nigeria Project), Access Now will be hosting a webinar on 21 April at 1:00 PM GMT+1 where we will unpack the human rights implications of Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act and discuss with journalists and human rights organizations, rights based framing for reporting accurately, responsibly, and critically on cybercrime-related cases and ongoing reform efforts by civil society.

The speakers are:

Moderator: Kehinde Adegboyega, Executive Director, Human Rights Journalists Network

Speakers:

Naro Omo-Osagie, Africa Policy Manager, Access Now

Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Uwuchukwu, Head of Office, Avocats Sans Frontieres Nigeria (Convener E-Rights Nigeria Project)

Olúwádàre A. Kóláwolé, Deputy Director, Socio Economic Rights & Accountability Project (SERAP)

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Stronger together: digital security and resilience for LGBTQ+ people
2026-07-14 09:00 - 10:00 (America/New_York)
register here

For many LGBTQ+ people, the internet has long been a crucial space for finding community and information, especially in contexts with limited offline visibility and support. But more than ever, queer communities face considerable risks in digital spaces. Discourse in online platforms is shaped by disinformation and hateful rhetoric, while safeguards are weak against doxxing, online harassment, and the exposure of activists that continue to drive progress towards gender justice and liberation.

In the context of a real-world backlash against women and gender diverse communities, this webinar seeks to mark Pride commemorations worldwide by increasing awareness about these challenges.

The webinar will take place on July 14, 2026, at 9:00 am EST (15:00 pm CEST, 21:00 pm Philippines and Western Indonesia).

This event is part of Safe and strong: a webinar series on digital security, an initiative of the Digital Security Helpline to bring together civil society, private sector partners, and other support organizations, to discuss how to increase resilience in the digital age.

Registration is available here.

SAFE AND STRONG: A WEBINAR SERIES ON DIGITAL SECURITY

is an initiative of the Digital Security Helpline to bring together civil society, private sector partners, and other support organizations, to discuss how to increase resilience in the digital age.

Speakers:

Azza Nubi (she/her) is a queer feminist activist and digital rights advocate. She is the founder and executive director of LooM SWANA, a regional organization focused on the intersectionality of LGBTIQ+ rights, holistic security, and digital rights in the Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region.

Rocío Jiménez (she/her) is a Security Incident Handler at Access Now. As part of her work, she has strengthened the Digital Security Helpline’s ability to support at-risk communities leveraging her background as a feminist activist and her expertise in both computer science and social work.

Donald Hamblock is a Staff Safety by Design Partner on Match Group’s Trust & Safety team, where he works to build safety into the product experience across the company’s portfolio. He has over a decade of experience in Trust & Safety. Previously, Hamblock was Twitter’s Head of API Policy within the company’s Site Integrity organization, leading the team that set the policies and review processes governing how developers built on the platform. Hamblock holds an MBA from London Business School, an MSc in European Politics and Governance from the London School of Economics, and a BA in International Studies from the University of Washington.

Moderator: Jaimee Kokonya is the Africa Campaigner at Access Now focusing on various digital rights issues. She is currently leading the #ProtectLGBTQDigitalRights campaign at Access Now in collaboration with local partner organizations in Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana. The campaign is tracking the emergence of anti-LGBTQ+ legislations in Africa, raising awareness on how they will impact digital rights. She holds an LL.B with a focus on human rights law from the University of Nairobi.

PREVIOUS SESSIONS

Spear-phishing (March)

[March 10, 2026] Spear phishing: how to stay safe and prevent advanced attacks against civil society

Rebekah Brown, Citizen Lab

Justin Albrecht, Lookout.

Mykola Kostynyan, Resident.NGO

Marilou Maala and Mohammed Al-Maskati (moderator), Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline

Digital security in war and conflict (May)

[May 19, 2026] Digital security in war and conflict: challenges for civil society and tools for resilience

Jocelyn Woolbright, Program Manager on Cloudflare’s Public Policy team

Mia Marzotto, Digital Rights Advocacy Lead at Oxfam

Luis Barrueto, Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline

Giulio Coppi, Senior Humanitarian Officer at Access Now

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