News & Updates

News & updates

Stay up to date with Access Now’s latest news, analysis, reports, events, community resources, and more. For a weekly digest in your inbox, subscribe to the Access Now Express, or scroll down to see the latest.

Image: AI's human rights impact
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial IntelligencePress ReleaseEuropeEnglish

Open letter: Council of the E.U. risks failing human rights in the AI Act 

28 Nov 2023

Ahead of the next AI Act trilogue, the we urge the Council of the European Union to effectively regulate the use of AI systems by law enforcement, migration control and national security authorities throughout Europe.

Press Release
Open letter: Council of the E.U. risks failing human rights in the AI Act 
28 Nov 2023
Open letter: Council of the E.U. risks failing human rights in the AI Act 
spyware
Surveillance
SurveillancePostEuropeEnglish

Spyware in Serbia: civil society under attack

28 Nov 2023

Access Now and our partners have discovered that civil society in Serbia have been targeted with invasive spyware technology. Here’s what we know.

Post
Spyware in Serbia: civil society under attack
28 Nov 2023
Spyware in Serbia: civil society under attack
Palestine Israel Digital Ceasefire; Gaza’s internet
Internet Shutdowns
Internet ShutdownsPublicationIsraelArabic

فلسطين خارج التغطية: كيف تقطع إسرائيل الإنترنت عن غزة

24 Nov 2023

يقدّم هذا التقرير دراسة لحالة الإنترنت في قطاع غزة طوال شهر أكتوبر 2023 من خلال تحليلٍ حركة الإنترنت حسب مزوّدي خدمات الإنترنت في مختلف مواقع القطاع.

Publication
فلسطين خارج التغطية: كيف تقطع إسرائيل الإنترنت عن غزة
24 Nov 2023
فلسطين خارج التغطية: كيف تقطع إسرائيل الإنترنت عن غزة
human impact of internet shutdowns
Internet Shutdowns
Internet ShutdownsPostAfricaEnglish

#KeepItOn in conflict: the human impact of internet shutdowns in Amhara region, Ethiopia

22 Nov 2023

This 11 stories from Ethiopian people tells the human impact of internet shutdowns in the Amhara region of Ethiopia in the past 100+ days.

Post
#KeepItOn in conflict: the human impact of internet shutdowns in Amhara region, Ethiopia
22 Nov 2023
#KeepItOn in conflict: the human impact of internet shutdowns in Amhara region, Ethiopia
Zimbabwe elections 2023, internet shutdowns
Internet Shutdowns
Internet ShutdownsPress ReleaseAfrica

Telegram in Kenya: keep people connected during national exams

20 Nov 2023

People in Kenya have the right to access information and communicate freely online — including through messaging applications like Telegram.

Press Release
Telegram in Kenya: keep people connected during national exams
20 Nov 2023
Telegram in Kenya: keep people connected during national exams
Zimbabwe elections 2023, internet shutdowns
Press Release

Open letter: clarification on Telegram blocking in Kenya

20 Nov 2023

Civil society organizations demand authorities and telcos in Kenya to explain the blocking of Telegram.

Press Release
Open letter: clarification on Telegram blocking in Kenya
20 Nov 2023
Open letter: clarification on Telegram blocking in Kenya
Focused View
Freedom of Expression
Freedom of ExpressionPress ReleaseAsia Pacific

Slipping down the authoritarian hole: Nepal must lift the TikTok ban

16 Nov 2023

Nepal must reverse its ban on TikTok and publish recent directives for social media platforms.

Press Release
Slipping down the authoritarian hole: Nepal must lift the TikTok ban
16 Nov 2023
Slipping down the authoritarian hole: Nepal must lift the TikTok ban
Urgent call: ceasefire in Gaza, "digital ceasefire" for Palestinians globally!
Internet Shutdowns
Internet ShutdownsPress ReleaseIsraelEnglish

Paltel Group’s response to Access Now and Human Rights Watch’s letter

15 Nov 2023

Access Now and the MENA Alliance for Digital Rights call for immediate restoration of telecoms and internet connectivity in the Gaza Strip.

Press Release
Paltel Group’s response to Access Now and Human Rights Watch’s letter
15 Nov 2023
Paltel Group’s response to Access Now and Human Rights Watch’s letter
Urgent call: ceasefire in Gaza, "digital ceasefire" for Palestinians globally!
Internet Shutdowns
Internet ShutdownsPress ReleaseIsraelEnglish

Letter to Paltel: internet and telecommunications shutdowns and disruptions in Gaza

15 Nov 2023

Human Rights Watch and Access Now wrote to Paltel Group in regards to the ongoing disruption of internet and telecommunications services in the Gaza Strip.

Press Release
Letter to Paltel: internet and telecommunications shutdowns and disruptions in Gaza
15 Nov 2023
Letter to Paltel: internet and telecommunications shutdowns and disruptions in Gaza
Telecommunications blackout in the Gaza Strip is an attack on human rights
Internet Shutdowns
Internet ShutdownsPress ReleaseIsraelEnglish

Depleting fuel and infrastructure damage: Gaza’s internet lifeline must be saved

15 Nov 2023

“With an impending internet blackout in Gaza, Access Now and Human Rights Watch received a response from Paltell Group emphasizing Israeli attacks on infrastructure as key blackout contributors and citing challenges in making repairs without a ceasefire.

Press Release
Depleting fuel and infrastructure damage: Gaza’s internet lifeline must be saved
15 Nov 2023
Depleting fuel and infrastructure damage: Gaza’s internet lifeline must be saved
Armenia spyware victims: Pegasus hacking in war
Surveillance
SurveillancePress Release

Coalition warns Congress: don’t use legislative tricks to reauthorize surveillance abuse

14 Nov 2023
Press Release
Coalition warns Congress: don’t use legislative tricks to reauthorize surveillance abuse
14 Nov 2023
Coalition warns Congress: don’t use legislative tricks to reauthorize surveillance abuse
digital ceasefire gaza
Internet Shutdowns
Internet ShutdownsPress ReleaseMiddle East & North AfricaEnglish

How Israel is shutting down the internet in Gaza

10 Nov 2023
Press Release
How Israel is shutting down the internet in Gaza
10 Nov 2023
How Israel is shutting down the internet in Gaza
Palestine Israel Digital Ceasefire; Gaza’s internet
Internet Shutdowns
Internet ShutdownsPublicationIsraelEnglish

Palestine unplugged: how Israel disrupts Gaza’s internet

10 Nov 2023

This report illustrates the state of Gaza’s internet throughout October 2023 by looking at internet traffic by ISPs and locations.

Publication
Palestine unplugged: how Israel disrupts Gaza’s internet
10 Nov 2023
Palestine unplugged: how Israel disrupts Gaza’s internet
EU terrorist content regulation
Freedom of Expression
Freedom of ExpressionPress ReleaseEuropeEnglish

Let the courts decide: civil society takes on EU’s dangerous terrorist content regulation 

9 Nov 2023

The coalition filed a complaint against the French decree implementing the EU regulation on addressing the dissemination of terrorist content.

Press Release
Let the courts decide: civil society takes on EU’s dangerous terrorist content regulation 
9 Nov 2023
Let the courts decide: civil society takes on EU’s dangerous terrorist content regulation 
Apple threat notifications
Cybersecurity
CybersecurityPostGlobalEnglish

FAQ: Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline and Apple threat notifications

3 Nov 2023

Access Now’s knowledge about ongoing Apple threat notifications sent to people who may have been targeted by state-sponsored spyware attacks

Post
FAQ: Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline and Apple threat notifications
3 Nov 2023
FAQ: Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline and Apple threat notifications
India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Bill passed: “it’s a bad law”
Data Protection
Data ProtectionPublicationAsia Pacific

Submission on Bangladesh’s draft Data Protection Act, 2023

3 Nov 2023

Access Now and Tech Global Institute’s submission on Bangladesh’s latest draft of the Data Protection Act, 2023.

Publication
Submission on Bangladesh’s draft Data Protection Act, 2023
3 Nov 2023
Submission on Bangladesh’s draft Data Protection Act, 2023
spyware
Surveillance
SurveillancePress ReleaseAsia Pacific

Democracy needs privacy: ban rights-violating spyware in India now 

31 Oct 2023

India must implement a ban on the use of rights-abusing commercial spyware and make a commitment to reform the country’s surveillance laws.

Press Release
Democracy needs privacy: ban rights-violating spyware in India now 
31 Oct 2023
Democracy needs privacy: ban rights-violating spyware in India now 
Watermark and generative AI
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial IntelligencePress ReleaseNorth AmericaEnglish

White House Executive Order on AI: a step forward on civil rights, but Congress must pass privacy law

30 Oct 2023

Access Now calls on the Biden-Harris Administration to protect human rights from bad data practices and algorithmic discrimination.

Press Release
White House Executive Order on AI: a step forward on civil rights, but Congress must pass privacy law
30 Oct 2023
White House Executive Order on AI: a step forward on civil rights, but Congress must pass privacy law
Restore Telecoms and Internet Connectivity in Gaza Now!
Internet Shutdowns
Internet ShutdownsPress ReleaseIsraelEnglish

Gaza’s last link is gone: civil society urges immediate reversal of total communications blackout now shrouding human rights harms

27 Oct 2023

Access Now and the MENA Alliance for Digital Rights call for immediate restoration of telecoms and internet connectivity in the Gaza Strip.

Press Release
Gaza’s last link is gone: civil society urges immediate reversal of total communications blackout now shrouding human rights harms
27 Oct 2023
Gaza’s last link is gone: civil society urges immediate reversal of total communications blackout now shrouding human rights harms
How to stay safe online in the context of conflict in Gaza
Digital Security
Digital SecurityGuideIraqSpanish

Cómo protegerse en línea en el contexto del conflicto en Gaza  

26 Oct 2023

La presente guía de consejos sobre resiliencia digital elaborada por Access Now y SMEX fue diseñada para brindarles apoyo contra las amenazas denunciadas.

Guide
Cómo protegerse en línea en el contexto del conflicto en Gaza  
26 Oct 2023
Cómo protegerse en línea en el contexto del conflicto en Gaza  

Access Now in the news

spyware
Surveillance

Belarus Internet Governance Forum: no civil society dialogue from behind bars

29 Nov 2023
News
Belarus Internet Governance Forum: no civil society dialogue from behind bars
Tech Policy Press ↗
29 Nov 2023
Belarus Internet Governance Forum: no civil society dialogue from behind bars
Armenia spyware victims: Pegasus hacking in war
Surveillance

Kritičari vlasti u Srbiji navodno meta špijunskog napada

28 Nov 2023
News
Kritičari vlasti u Srbiji navodno meta špijunskog napada
Radio Slobodna Evropa ↗
28 Nov 2023
Kritičari vlasti u Srbiji navodno meta špijunskog napada
digital ceasefire gaza
Digital Divide

Palestinians are locked out of Google’s online economy

28 Nov 2023
News
Palestinians are locked out of Google’s online economy
WIRED ↗
28 Nov 2023
Palestinians are locked out of Google’s online economy
Hacking Meduza: Pegasus spyware used to target Putin’s critic
Surveillance

Critics of Serbia’s government targeted with ‘military-grade spyware’

28 Nov 2023
News
Critics of Serbia’s government targeted with ‘military-grade spyware’
The Guardian ↗
28 Nov 2023
Critics of Serbia’s government targeted with ‘military-grade spyware’
spyware
Surveillance

Spyware abuses travel to Serbia for first time

28 Nov 2023
News
Spyware abuses travel to Serbia for first time
Washington Post ↗
28 Nov 2023
Spyware abuses travel to Serbia for first time
digital ceasefire gaza
Digital Divide

الفصل العنصري الرقمي واستخدام خوارزميات التواصل الاجتماعي في الأزمات الإنسانية

23 Nov 2023
News
الفصل العنصري الرقمي واستخدام خوارزميات التواصل الاجتماعي في الأزمات الإنسانية
Global Voices ↗
23 Nov 2023
الفصل العنصري الرقمي واستخدام خوارزميات التواصل الاجتماعي في الأزمات الإنسانية
How to stay safe online in the context of conflict in Gaza

Gazans Are Trying to Stay Online Under Siege. New Tech Is Struggling to Help.

22 Nov 2023
News
Gazans Are Trying to Stay Online Under Siege. New Tech Is Struggling to Help.
VICE ↗
22 Nov 2023
Gazans Are Trying to Stay Online Under Siege. New Tech Is Struggling to Help.
Press under Attack – Digital Strategies to Intimidate Journalists in Latin America
Digital Security

Claims that NSO’s Pegasus spyware helps Israel find hostages are ‘nonsense,’ experts say

22 Nov 2023
News
Claims that NSO’s Pegasus spyware helps Israel find hostages are ‘nonsense,’ experts say
Fast Company ↗
22 Nov 2023
Claims that NSO’s Pegasus spyware helps Israel find hostages are ‘nonsense,’ experts say
Net Neutrality

Anti-censorship tools are quietly disappearing into thin air in China

21 Nov 2023
News
Anti-censorship tools are quietly disappearing into thin air in China
TechCruch ↗
21 Nov 2023
Anti-censorship tools are quietly disappearing into thin air in China
Restore Telecoms and Internet Connectivity in Gaza Now!
Internet Shutdowns

Israel unplugged Gaza: Human rights watchdog says “Internet shutdowns are fatal”

15 Nov 2023
News
Israel unplugged Gaza: Human rights watchdog says “Internet shutdowns are fatal”
Cybernews ↗
15 Nov 2023
Israel unplugged Gaza: Human rights watchdog says “Internet shutdowns are fatal”
Watermark and generative AI
Artificial Intelligence

La falta de acuerdo en la Unión Europea pone en peligro la regulación de la inteligencia artificial

14 Nov 2023
News
La falta de acuerdo en la Unión Europea pone en peligro la regulación de la inteligencia artificial
El Periodica ↗
14 Nov 2023
La falta de acuerdo en la Unión Europea pone en peligro la regulación de la inteligencia artificial
Restore Telecoms and Internet Connectivity in Gaza Now!
Freedom of Expression

منظمات حقوق الإنسان تطالب بوقف فوري لإطلاق النار ميدانيًا ورقميًا في غزة

13 Nov 2023
News
منظمات حقوق الإنسان تطالب بوقف فوري لإطلاق النار ميدانيًا ورقميًا في غزة
Global Voices ↗
13 Nov 2023
منظمات حقوق الإنسان تطالب بوقف فوري لإطلاق النار ميدانيًا ورقميًا في غزة
Mapping the risks of emerging biometric and AI technology
Artificial Intelligence

AI Act’s proposals and counterproposals, Cyber Resilience Act’s path set

11 Nov 2023
News
AI Act’s proposals and counterproposals, Cyber Resilience Act’s path set
Euractiv ↗
11 Nov 2023
AI Act’s proposals and counterproposals, Cyber Resilience Act’s path set
Mapping the risks of emerging biometric and AI technology
Artificial Intelligence

AI: which rules do the top tech moguls want?

8 Nov 2023
News
AI: which rules do the top tech moguls want?
Deutsche Welle ↗
8 Nov 2023
AI: which rules do the top tech moguls want?
EU terrorist content regulation
Freedom of Expression

How India tamed Twitter and set a global standard for online censorship

8 Nov 2023
News
How India tamed Twitter and set a global standard for online censorship
The Washington Post ↗
8 Nov 2023
How India tamed Twitter and set a global standard for online censorship
Restore Telecoms and Internet Connectivity in Gaza Now!
Internet Shutdowns

Internet blackouts in Gaza are a new weapon in the Israel-Hamas war

7 Nov 2023
News
Internet blackouts in Gaza are a new weapon in the Israel-Hamas war
WIRED ↗
7 Nov 2023
Internet blackouts in Gaza are a new weapon in the Israel-Hamas war

Events

Join us at an upcoming event hosted by Access Now or our partners, and reach out to connect with us in person or online.

Internet Governance Forum

Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Japan 2023

October 8 @ 8:00 am October 12 @ 5:30 pm JST

Event
Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Japan 2023

October 8 @ 8:00 am October 12 @ 5:30 pm JST

Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Japan 2023
FIFAfrica 23
Internet Shutdowns

Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) 2023

September 27 @ 9:00 am September 29 @ 5:00 pm EAT

The annual Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) hosted by the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) will be held in Dar es Salam, Tanzania on September 27-29, 2023.

Event
Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) 2023

September 27 @ 9:00 am September 29 @ 5:00 pm EAT

Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) 2023
UN Cybercrime Treaty
Cybersecurity

Media briefing: critical human rights issues at stake in the draft UN Cybercrime Treaty

August 23 @ 1:30 pm 2:30 pm EDT

Experts from EFF, Human Rights Watch, and four internationalallies will brief reporters on critical flaws in the draft UN Cybercrime Treaty

Event
Media briefing: critical human rights issues at stake in the draft UN Cybercrime Treaty

August 23 @ 1:30 pm 2:30 pm EDT

Media briefing: critical human rights issues at stake in the draft UN Cybercrime Treaty
Gendered disinfo in Tunisia
Freedom of Expression

From catalyst for freedom to tool for repression: social media and gendered disinformation in Tunisia?

July 13 @ 2:00 pm 3:00 pm CET

On the 13th of July, join us with #ShePersisted for a one hour online event on the impact of gendered disinformation in Tunisia.

Event
From catalyst for freedom to tool for repression: social media and gendered disinformation in Tunisia?

July 13 @ 2:00 pm 3:00 pm CET

From catalyst for freedom to tool for repression: social media and gendered disinformation in Tunisia?