Around the world, digital rights groups do incredible work in nearly impossible conditions, defending human rights online even as war and conflict rages around them, or while subject to brutal repression from authoritarian governments. Despite these challenges, they persevere — because for the communities they serve, they may be the last line of defense, or even the difference between life and death.
Access Now is proud to be able to support several such groups, the “Frontline Fighters,” including Athan, YODET, and a Middle East and North Africa-based organization whose identity we are protecting for their safety.
Athan is a Myanmar-based organization launched by several youth activists to defend freedom of expression. Access Now’s Grants program has supported Athan since it was founded seven years ago. Follow their work on Facebook, LinkedIn, or X.
How do you help?
“In Myanmar, the military junta’s digital repression impacts freedom of expression in every way. Many individuals in our network, especially young people, students, and grassroots activists, face constant surveillance, internet shutdowns, and online harassment. These aren’t mere inconveniences; they restrict access to information, disconnect support networks, and put people’s lives at risk simply for speaking out.”
What does helping look like in practice?
“Our emergency support program provides immediate assistance to journalists and activists forced to flee for their own safety. In one recent case, a journalist reporting from inside Myanmar was at imminent risk of arrest due to their reporting; we helped arrange temporary safe housing and digital risk mitigation, as well as covering relocation and communications costs. Without our intervention, they may well have been detained — or worse.”
What does the future look like to you?
“We envision a Myanmar where at-risk groups — especially ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and student activists — aren’t just beneficiaries of digital protection; they are the leaders shaping digital freedom. This means shifting power and resources directly to those on the frontlines, to ensure that digital spaces remain tools for resistance, connection, and freedom. We are grateful for Access Now’s long-term support, solidarity, and commitment in helping us make this future a reality.”
YODET, based in Yemen, provides critical support to human rights defenders, journalists, and civil society actors impacted by internet shutdowns and conflict-related blackouts, ensuring they can stay safely and securely connected when it matters most. Access Now has supported them for eight years. Follow their work on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or X.
How do you help?
“The world needs to understand that digital rights in Yemen are not just about access — they’re about protecting truth, dignity, and life under crisis. Since the civil war began in 2014, the internet has become part of the frontlines; both a vital tool and a contested space. Journalists, activists, and human rights defenders, who depend on digital platforms to document human rights violations and mobilize resistance, are often subject to cyberattacks, mandatory device inspections at checkpoints, and online harassment. Women, in particular, face gendered digital threats, including blackmail based on the threatened leakage of private images — with some cases tragically resulting in suicide. At YODET, we support those on the frontline of digital activism by providing the tools, training, and safe spaces that activists need to continue their work, while our emergency centers and digital security helpline offer both connectivity and protection during Yemen’s frequent internet shutdowns.”
What does helping look like in practice?
“In January 2022, Yemen was plunged into a complete internet blackout following an airstrike on critical telecommunications infrastructure. Journalists, activists, and civil society groups were unable to report human rights violations to the wider world or to coordinate humanitarian efforts. The silence was paralyzing — and dangerous. For four days, YODET’s emergency internet centers in Sana’a, Aden, Ma’rib, and Taiz, which use satellite internet connections, were the only way for more than 50 beneficiaries, including 11 organizations and 40 individuals, to continue their essential work. One beneficiary thanked us for providing ‘a new window to the world,’ without which their efforts would have ground to a halt.”
What does the future look like to you?
“In Yemen, digital activism is not simply about expression; it is often the only viable form of resistance. It must be supported, safeguarded, and amplified, especially as the intersection of war and technology continues to evolve. In a country marked by conflict and digital repression, our commitment is to ensure that the most marginalized voices are not only connected, but protected and empowered. We work for a future where every individual in Yemen — regardless of gender, geography, or circumstance — can benefit from open, secure, and reliable internet access as a fundamental human right.”
This grantee is an organization based in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), where they focus on issues at the intersection of technology, law, and human rights, supporting lawyers, legal researchers, and journalists to navigate increasingly hostile legal frameworks and an environment marked by digital repression and constant surveillance. Their identity has been withheld for safety and security reasons.
How do you help?
“In the country where we work, journalists, technologists, activists, lawyers, legal researchers, media institutions, and rights-oriented tech companies all face escalating threats to their digital rights. Surveillance is constant. Online content is censored or removed. Secure communication tools are targeted. Investigative journalism is punished with imprisonment. And the line between digital repression, legitimized by legal frameworks, and physical harm has all but disappeared. Yet these same communities show extraordinary resilience and creativity, even as they are forced to work under siege. To support them, we document internet censorship, expose the use of surveillance and spyware technologies, and provide expert legal and technical guidance to those facing systematic digital threats.”
What does helping look like in practice?
“Our local presence allows us to help media organizations, lawyers, and legal researchers understand the human rights implications of internet and telecommunications laws, provide specialized technical support to activists at risk of surveillance or attack, and investigate companies selling surveillance and spyware technologies across the region. Recently, we’ve focused on analyzing the legal and human rights implications of online censorship and surveillance, while also examining how the use of internet shutdowns and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies reinforces repression and undermines fundamental rights in times of war, as seen, for instance, in Palestine.”
What does the future look like to you?
“Despite everything, the internet remains the last breathing space for freedom; the last domain where those who have no voice can still try to be heard. These voices are the ones that must shape the future of digital rights; they are best placed to lead the fight for freer, more just digital spaces. We must also resist the idea that technology is somehow neutral, and instead interrogate and reshape the structure of technology as a political and economic product. Defending non-negotiable rights to freedom of expression and privacy should be considered part of defending human dignity itself — privacy is a condition of safety, not a luxury, while freedom of expression, far from being merely a legal entitlement, is a means of existence, resistance, and transformation.”