Freedom of Expression
We fight for your right to speak freely, which is critical for demonstrating dissent, guaranteeing a free press, and defending human rights.
Blog
Call for the release of Alaa Abd El Fattah and all those unjustly detained in Egypt
The military “interim government” in Egypt is cracking down on any meaningful form of assembly, association, or opposition. Following the passage of a November 2013 law banning peaceful protest, dozens of activists and organizers have been sent to prison. Among them is Alaa Abd El Fattah, software guru, blogger and political activist. We join dozens of other civil society organizations in calling for the release of Alaa and all those unjustly detained in Egypt.…
23 January 2014
Blog
Due Process is a Human Right: Demand that the White House support ECPA reform
Today, Access is joining a day of action in the United State calling for reform of the U.S. Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) — the law known for giving the U.S. government the ability to access your email and documents in the cloud without a warrant. ECPA is one of the internet’s most outdated laws: it was passed in 1986, before most people even had access to the internet.
…5 December 2013
Blog
Message to U.N. General Assembly: Stand up for Right to Privacy in the Digital Age
As negotiations at the United Nations General Assembly over the right to privacy in the digital age grow heated, Access, together with Amnesty International, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Human Rights Watch, and Privacy International have written a letter to members of the General Assembly urging them to “take a stand against indiscriminate practices such as mass surveillance, interception, and data collection, both at home and abroad”.
…21 November 2013
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Proposed Ecuadorean Criminal Code poses serious threat to user privacy
Ecuador is set to finish a major revision to its Criminal Code on Friday, and it’s not looking good for user rights. Even as the country’s president, Rafael Correa, has been outspoken in criticizing NSA surveillance, the Ecuadorean Assembly is charging ahead with a requirement that all internet service providers spy on their customers, in violation of the country’s Constitution and international law.…
13 November 2013
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Brazil, Germany introduce resolution on Right to Privacy in the Digital Age at UN General Assembly
The United Nations is the site of the latest diplomatic response to revelations of mass surveillance by the United States and its allies. Today at the General Assembly, Brazil and Germany formally introduced their draft resolution on “The Right to Privacy in the Digital Age.”
…1 November 2013
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With no votes cast, Azerbaijani election app releases ‘final’ election results
While the October 9 Azerbaijani general election was not expected to meet international standards as “free and fair,” an app developed by the country’s authoritarian government has accidentally released a final vote tally a full day ahead of the election. According to the application, the votes count for tomorrow’s election have the the country’s incumbent dictator, Ilham Aliyev, “winning” the election by a landslide.
…8 October 2013
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Surveillance and Human Rights Principles are launched at 24th Session of the Human Rights Council
Over the course of last week, representatives from Access, Privacy International, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Association for Progressive Communications, Reporters Without Borders, the Center for Democracy and Technology, and Human Rights Watch presented the International Principles on the Application…
22 September 2013