Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline is a free-of-charge resource for civil society worldwide. This means that we offer direct technical advice, and rapid-response emergency assistance to various at-risk groups, including individual activists, researchers, media organizations, journalists, bloggers, and human rights defenders, as well as civil society collectives or organizations.

Our support focuses exclusively on digital security. This includes support with incidents related to technical infrastructure, devices, websites, and social media.

To reduce and mitigate risks for the network of beneficiaries the Helpline serves, as well as for the Helpline itself and its team members, we always conduct a vetting process on new requests. Access Now may reject a request for support or decline to deliver further services if:

• The individual requesting assistance is under the age of majority under applicable law or under the age of 18, even if they are part of the groups mentioned above;
• The individual or organization seeking assistance is not a member of civil society, or they are affiliated with:
  • Current holders of political office;
  • Criminal groups or groups involved with any kind of criminal activities;
  • Military arms or known violence.
• The type of assistance required or requested does not fall within the range of services the Helpline can provide (for example, support with medical emergencies or relocation services);
• The request exposes Access Now team members or partners to an unacceptable risk of physical, digital, or other forms of harm, including mistreatment, harassment, or defamation;
• The request poses an unacceptable risk to Access Now’s reputation or has any association with views, objectives, or methods that go against human rights and our values.

The Helpline reserves the right to re-evaluate any beneficiary at any point after the initial vetting is conducted. Providing initial support does not guarantee the provision of further services pursuant to future requests.

Though we intend to provide the best possible service and expert technical guidance, we cannot guarantee that the information or services we provide will meet all requestor’s requirements or be uninterrupted, timely, or infallible. Access Now does not offer any guarantee or warranty, whether express or implied, for services provided by third parties due to our recommendations or referrals.

The Helpline will only share personally identifiable information with other parts of the Access Now team, such as the Legal or Advocacy Arms, or with trusted partners, and only when necessary to solve issues for which the beneficiary requests assistance. We reserve the right to share anonymized information about digital security trends with other parts of the Access Now team, trusted partners, or as a part of public or private reporting to improve our effectiveness and confront emerging threats to civil society worldwide.

Please make sure you read our Terms of Service and our Data Usage Policy. By using information and services provided by the Access Now Digital Security Helpline, you agree to our terms and provide implied consent for both policies.