Net Discrimination

Fighting for Net Neutrality

Paid “fast lanes” for the internet undermine free expression and innovation. Internet access should be offered to everyone on a nondiscriminatory basis, without favoring certain websites, applications, services, or business models.  We advocate for net neutrality to ensure access to a free and open internet around the world.

Civil society won’t back down: the fight for net neutrality continues in California

Internet service providers (ISPs) oppose SB 822, which grants California residents the best net neutrality protections in the United States.

Resources

Access Now theme

Connectivity

Zero rating: a global threat to the open internet

We discuss two primary models for “zero rating” — both of which are a form of network discrimination and harm human rights.

EU Ukraine

Connectivity

Open letter to the EU: protect people affected by Russia’s attack on Ukraine

In a letter to the EU, Access Now provides recommendations related to tech platforms and telecoms operators in the context of the war in Ukraine.

internet gateway

Data Protection

Cambodia should scrap rights-abusing National Internet Gateway

Access Now and a coalition of rights organizations call on Cambodia to revoke plans to establish an internet gateway.

Latest Updates

microsoft
Data Protection
Data Protection

Surveilled, targeted, and now hacked: WFP must protect Palestinians in Gaza after massive data breach

17 Jun 2026

We, the undersigned civil society organizations, condemn in the strongest possible terms the cyberattack on the World Food Programme (WFP) that took place on May 14, 2026, exposing the personal data of 600,000 Palestinian households in Gaza.

Press Release
Surveilled, targeted, and now hacked: WFP must protect Palestinians in Gaza after massive data breach
17 Jun 2026
Surveilled, targeted, and now hacked: WFP must protect Palestinians in Gaza after massive data breach
Surveillance
Surveillance

Hidden Spyware Use in War May Be More Widespread Than We Realize

15 Jun 2026
News
Hidden Spyware Use in War May Be More Widespread Than We Realize
Tech Policy Press ↗
15 Jun 2026
Hidden Spyware Use in War May Be More Widespread Than We Realize
AI Action Summit
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence

AI-accelerated warfare must stop

15 Jun 2026

As AI-accelerated warfare is rapidly becoming a means of rubber-stamping killing at unprecedented speed and scale, Access Now, Amnesty International, and more than 200 civil society organizations and individuals are calling attention to the militarization of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and for an immediate halt to the use of AI systems in the military kill chain.

Press Release
AI-accelerated warfare must stop
15 Jun 2026
AI-accelerated warfare must stop
AI Action Summit
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence

Joint statement on AI in warfare

15 Jun 2026

We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, are deeply alarmed by the rapid militarization of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. AI systems embedded into military kill chains are accelerating the speed and scale of military assaults in a manner that creates significant new risks for accountability in conflict and risks facilitating violations of international criminal, human rights, and humanitarian law.

Press Release
Joint statement on AI in warfare
15 Jun 2026
Joint statement on AI in warfare
Access Now theme-1340x360

A statement to our community on why RightsCon 2026 is not taking place in Zambia

1 Jun 2026
News
A statement to our community on why RightsCon 2026 is not taking place in Zambia
RightsCon ↗
1 Jun 2026
A statement to our community on why RightsCon 2026 is not taking place in Zambia
KeepItOn Internet Shutdowns 2025
Internet Shutdowns
Internet Shutdowns

The Guardian view on the splinternet: where China led, Iran and others are eagerly following

1 Jun 2026
News
The Guardian view on the splinternet: where China led, Iran and others are eagerly following
The Guardian ↗
1 Jun 2026
The Guardian view on the splinternet: where China led, Iran and others are eagerly following
Spyware
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity

Hackers are trying to steal Signal users’ backups in new wave of phishing attacks

29 May 2026
News
Hackers are trying to steal Signal users’ backups in new wave of phishing attacks
Tech Crunch ↗
29 May 2026
Hackers are trying to steal Signal users’ backups in new wave of phishing attacks
NSO
Surveillance
Surveillance

Access Now urges the Ninth Circuit to protect encryption from NSO’s spyware

21 May 2026

Yesterday, Access Now and ten other civil society organizations filed an amicus brief in the U.S.’ Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals calling to protect encryption from NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware and to keep the lower court’s permanent injunction forbidding NSO from ever targeting WhatsApp or its customers’ devices ever again.

Press Release
Access Now urges the Ninth Circuit to protect encryption from NSO’s spyware
21 May 2026
Access Now urges the Ninth Circuit to protect encryption from NSO’s spyware
Palestine Israel Digital Ceasefire; Gaza’s internet
Content Governance
Content Governance

Palestinians risked their lives to document Gaza, then came the algorithm

21 May 2026
News
Palestinians risked their lives to document Gaza, then came the algorithm
WIRED ↗
21 May 2026
Palestinians risked their lives to document Gaza, then came the algorithm
NSO
Surveillance
Surveillance

What we know about how the U.S. government uses spyware (and what we don’t)

21 May 2026
News
What we know about how the U.S. government uses spyware (and what we don’t)
NPR ↗
21 May 2026
What we know about how the U.S. government uses spyware (and what we don’t)
Palestinian Authority
Freedom of Expression
Freedom of Expression

Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia and the UAE

20 May 2026
Press Release
Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
20 May 2026
Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
brightly coloured image of fists and signs
Content Governance
Content Governance

Criminalizing truth: Gulf governments must end the crackdown on information

20 May 2026
Press Release
Criminalizing truth: Gulf governments must end the crackdown on information
20 May 2026
Criminalizing truth: Gulf governments must end the crackdown on information
microsoft
Transparency
Transparency

Microsoft: it’s time to come clean about your ties to the Israeli military

18 May 2026

Through a new joint letter, we’re calling on Microsoft to publish the findings of its review into the Israeli military’s use of the company services.

Press Release
Microsoft: it’s time to come clean about your ties to the Israeli military
18 May 2026
Microsoft: it’s time to come clean about your ties to the Israeli military
microsoft
Transparency
Transparency

Joint letter to Microsoft regarding Israeli military use of Azure cloud and AI services

18 May 2026

A follow up to our open letter regarding Microsoft’s formal review of recent allegations about Israel’s usage of Azure cloud for the surveillance and targeting of Palestinians.

Press Release
Joint letter to Microsoft regarding Israeli military use of Azure cloud and AI services
18 May 2026
Joint letter to Microsoft regarding Israeli military use of Azure cloud and AI services
Internet shutdowns typology of harm socials
Internet Shutdowns
Internet Shutdowns

هل يصبح قطع الإنترنت جريمة ضد الإنسانية؟

17 May 2026
News
هل يصبح قطع الإنترنت جريمة ضد الإنسانية؟
Al-Araby Al-Jadeed ↗
17 May 2026
هل يصبح قطع الإنترنت جريمة ضد الإنسانية؟
KeepItOn Internet Shutdowns 2025
Internet Shutdowns
Internet Shutdowns

‘Blatant disregard for rights’: concern grows over Gabon’s social media clampdown

13 May 2026
News
‘Blatant disregard for rights’: concern grows over Gabon’s social media clampdown
The Guardian ↗
13 May 2026
‘Blatant disregard for rights’: concern grows over Gabon’s social media clampdown