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
Can the First Amendment save TikTok?
Blocked, demonetised, and censored: what some news channels in India are facing on YouTube
Digital rights in the Caribbean: not to be lost in the eternal darkness
Protect rights online and off: Uganda’s court upholds criminalization of LGBTQ+ advocacy
The Constitutional Court of Uganda has upheld the Anti-Homosexuality Act, dealing a deadly blow to human rights.
Meta’s long-standing problem with “shaheed”
Meta is revisiting its hate speech policy on Zionism — here’s why it’s (still) a bad idea
Meta is (re)considering how to moderate content involving the term “Zionist.” Here’s why this hate speech policy is (still) a bad idea.
A step in the right direction: Meta Oversight Board’s opinion on the term “shaheed”
Access Now welcome the Oversight Board’s opinion urging Meta to end its blanket ban on the term “shaheed” when referring to individuals designated as dangerous.
Dissecting the ‘TikTok problem’
The Sudan conflict: how internet shutdowns deepen a humanitarian crisis
These stories from the Sudan conflict show the human impact of the internet shutdowns that plunged the country into darkness last month.
Genocide in the digital age: what role do social media companies play?
Open letter to the President of Ghana: Reject the anti-LGBTQ+ bill to protect human rights
Access Now and 28 civil society organizations are calling on President Nana-Akuffo Addo to reject Ghana’s draconian anti-LGBTQ+ bill.
Democracy’s lifeline: Senegal must uphold internet access this election
Authorities in Senegal must commit to ensuring access to the internet throughout the election period.
A TikTok ban could embolden authoritarian censorship, experts warn
In Pakistan, threats continue to internet access, including social media
Ghana’s backward move on LGBT+ rights
Türkiye: Big tech should protect free speech and resist state censorship
We join ARTICLE 19, HRW, and 19 rights groups in calling on social media platforms to protect users’ free expression rights amidst increasing state censorship ahead of Türkiye’s municipal elections.