Freedom of Expression
We work for freedom of expression for all, from circumventing censorship, to promoting rights-respecting solutions to regulating online speech, to standing up for those who are silenced for speaking truth to power.
#FreeAlaa: You Have Not Yet Been Defeated
On April 2, 2022, and after years of unlawful imprisonment, mistreatment, and torture, Egyptian activist, blogger, and software developer Alaa Abd El-Fattah shaved his head and started a hunger strike on the first day of Ramadan.
Related Issues
Latest Updates
Ceasefire in Gaza: it’s time to end digital harms and deliver justice
As physical violence appears to be coming to a halt after 15 months in Gaza, Access Now further calls for a digital ceasefire.
Here’s what happened when India banned TikTok in 2020
Two years on, Balgh remains a tool of repression in Iraq
Access Now, along with partner organizations, condemn the Iraqi authorities’ continued use of the Balgh platform to monitor online speech and curtail freedom of expression.
Tackling the “black snakes” undermining digital rights worldwide
As 2025 gets underway, Access Now’s new Executive Director, Alejandro Mayoral Baños, PhD, shares his reflections on the “black snakes” threatening the digital rights movement.
The Palestinian Authority must stop silencing Al Jazeera and end its attacks on press freedom
The Palestinian Authority must reverse its decision to block Al Jazeera websites and lift the suspension of its operations in the West Bank.
How WhatsApp ate the world
Open letter: the UK government must act now to free Alaa
The undersigned human rights organizations call on the UK government to take immediate action to free Alaa, and save his mother’s life.
Cradle of freedom? Saudis lambasted for hosting UN internet forum
بيان مُشترك: المجتمع المدني يُطالب باتخاذ الإجراءات اللازمة قبيل انعقاد منتدى حوكمة الإنترنت
منظمات حقوق الإنسان المُوقّعة أدناه، نحثّ حكومة السعودية على إطلاق سراح جميع المعتقلين الذين اعتقلتهم السلطات السعودية بسبب تعبيرهم عن آرائهم على الإنترنت
Joint statement: civil society demands action ahead of Internet Governance Forum
Civil society urges the government of Saudi Arabia to release people imprisoned for their online expression and foster transparency and accountability ahead of IGF 2024.
Who wins from the IGF? Not those locked up for speaking out
Rainbow-burning: how social media companies increase risks for LGBTQ+ people in Africa
Colonial-era laws and a global anti-rights movement are fueling LGBTQ+ repression across Africa. Access Now documented 214 threats on platforms like TikTok, X, Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp, underscoring widespread risks.
Why we won’t stop defending LGBTQ+ digital rights
When “cybercrime” laws infringe human rights: lessons from the Arab region
Governments across the Arab region already use cybercrime laws to violate human rights, and the UN cybercrime convention risks making this even easier.
Toward a digital ceasefire
The ascent of cyber warfare is weaponizing our digital world; it’s time to embrace the concept of “digital ceasefire.”