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Michael De Dora

U.S. Policy and Advocacy Manager

Michael De Dora is the U.S. Policy and Advocacy Manager at Access Now. He joined Access Now as a Senior Campaigner in September 2022. Prior to joining Access Now, Michael worked at the Committee to Protect Journalists, where he led advocacy with the U.S. government to advance press freedom around the world. Before that, he directed global advocacy for the Center for Inquiry, focused on freedom of conscience and secular government. Michael was twice elected president of the United Nations NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief in New York. He has an MA in Political Science from Brooklyn College and a BA in Rhetoric and Communication from the University at Albany. He started his career as a journalist.

U.S. Homeland Security must stop using AI tech for immigration enforcement and adjudication

5 Sep 2024

Access Now joins Just Futures Law and civil society partners in urging DHS to stop violating federal policies on AI use.

Press Release
U.S. Homeland Security must stop using AI tech for immigration enforcement and adjudication
5 Sep 2024
U.S. Homeland Security must stop using AI tech for immigration enforcement and adjudication
Algorithmic accountability

Open letter: no deepfakes for democracy

4 Sep 2024

Access Now and civil society partners demand social media platforms take immediate action to implement policies to stop deepfakes from interfering in elections.

Press Release
Open letter: no deepfakes for democracy
4 Sep 2024
Open letter: no deepfakes for democracy

Civil society open letter urges Bumble to take privacy seriously

8 Aug 2024

Access Now, in an effort led by Mozilla and other key civil society organizations, is demanding that Bumble address problem with its data collection and privacy practices.

Press Release
Civil society open letter urges Bumble to take privacy seriously
8 Aug 2024
Civil society open letter urges Bumble to take privacy seriously
U.S. Senate must stop the biggest expansion of surveillance power in 20 years

U.S. Senate must stop the biggest expansion of surveillance power in 20 years

17 Apr 2024
Press Release
U.S. Senate must stop the biggest expansion of surveillance power in 20 years
17 Apr 2024
U.S. Senate must stop the biggest expansion of surveillance power in 20 years
Bigger, bolder: U.S. slaps sanctions on spyware company and executives

Bigger, bolder: U.S. slaps sanctions on spyware company and executives

7 Mar 2024
Press Release
Bigger, bolder: U.S. slaps sanctions on spyware company and executives
7 Mar 2024
Bigger, bolder: U.S. slaps sanctions on spyware company and executives
Armenia spyware victims: Pegasus hacking in war

One small step for accountability: U.S. announces anonymous visa sanctions program for spyware violations

6 Feb 2024

In a positive but limited step, the U.S.’s new sanctions policy will deny visas to individuals who are involved in, facilitate, or financially benefit from the misuse of commercial spyware.

Press Release
One small step for accountability: U.S. announces anonymous visa sanctions program for spyware violations
6 Feb 2024
One small step for accountability: U.S. announces anonymous visa sanctions program for spyware violations
#KeepItOn in Sudan

What the U.S. can and must do to reconnect Gaza

18 Jan 2024

Gaza is suffering under its ninth recent telecommunications and internet shutdown. We outline how the U.S. can help reconnect Gaza.

Post
What the U.S. can and must do to reconnect Gaza
18 Jan 2024
What the U.S. can and must do to reconnect Gaza
#StopSilencingPalestine

U.S. Senator joins civil society’s call: #StopSilencingPalestine

15 Dec 2023

U.S. Senator joins civil society’s call to #StopSilencingPalestine. Meta’s censorship of Palestine-related content must end now.

Press Release
U.S. Senator joins civil society’s call: #StopSilencingPalestine
15 Dec 2023
U.S. Senator joins civil society’s call: #StopSilencingPalestine
Bigger, bolder: U.S. slaps sanctions on spyware company and executives

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
Watermark and generative AI

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