Skip to main content
Back to content

Namrata Maheshwari

Senior Policy Counsel and Encryption Policy Lead

Namrata Maheshwari serves as Senior Policy Counsel and Encryption Policy Lead at Access Now. She leads Access Now’s policy and advocacy work across South Asia. She also leads the organization’s work on encryption policy globally. Previously, she worked with the Center for Democracy & Technology as a Consultant, primarily on the Freedom, Security, and Technology Project. Namrata is an India-qualified lawyer, enrolled with the bar council. She completed her LL.M. from Columbia Law School as a Stone Scholar, with a focus on technology policy and digital governance. Prior to that, she received her law degree from Jindal Global Law School with a scholarship for outstanding women. In the past, she has worked at a premiere corporate law firm in India, and as a litigator before Indian courts

Sweden

Why client-side scanning on encrypted platforms is a lose-lose proposition 

3 Jul 2025

Regulators worldwide have been pushing client-side scanning (CSS) as a way to examine encrypted communications. But this system still undermines people’s privacy and security by circumventing end-to-end encryption, as we explain.

Post
Why client-side scanning on encrypted platforms is a lose-lose proposition 
3 Jul 2025
Why client-side scanning on encrypted platforms is a lose-lose proposition 
Digital censorship

Access Now statement on digital censorship amid India–Pakistan conflict

9 May 2025

We are alarmed by executive orders issued by the Indian government restricting access to an alarming spectrum of online content, including requiring social media platform X to block access to over 8,000 accounts, including those belonging to journalists, human rights organisations, and independent media outlets.

Press Release
Access Now statement on digital censorship amid India–Pakistan conflict
9 May 2025
Access Now statement on digital censorship amid India–Pakistan conflict
Freedom of expression

Combating digital threats to safeguard press freedom

6 May 2025
Post
Combating digital threats to safeguard press freedom
6 May 2025
Combating digital threats to safeguard press freedom
Israel’s Adequacy

Submission on India’s draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules

11 Mar 2025

Access Now’s comments and recommendations on India’s draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025.

Publication
Submission on India’s draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules
11 Mar 2025
Submission on India’s draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules
Bodily harms: how AI and biometrics curtail human rights PR header

Comments on MeitY’s report on AI governance guidelines

11 Mar 2025

Access Now’s comments on the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s (MeitY) report on AI governance guidelines.

Publication
Comments on MeitY’s report on AI governance guidelines
11 Mar 2025
Comments on MeitY’s report on AI governance guidelines
A pathway forward for digital rights by Brett Solomon

Joint statement on emerging digital laws in Bangladesh

25 Feb 2025

Access Now urges the Interim Government of Bangladesh to ensure its approach to digital governance reforms to ensure is rights-based.

Press Release
Joint statement on emerging digital laws in Bangladesh
25 Feb 2025
Joint statement on emerging digital laws in Bangladesh

2024 में किये गए रिकॉर्ड तोड़ इंटरनेट शटडाउन: अधिकारों के हनन में एशिया प्रशांत सबसे आगे

23 Feb 2025

एक्सेस नाउ और #KeepItOn गठबंधन की नई रिपोर्ट ने पाया की पिछले नौ सालों के रिकॉर्ड में, 2024 इंटरनेट शटडाउन के लिए सबसे खराब साल रहा।

Press Release
2024 में किये गए रिकॉर्ड तोड़ इंटरनेट शटडाउन: अधिकारों के हनन में एशिया प्रशांत सबसे आगे
23 Feb 2025
2024 में किये गए रिकॉर्ड तोड़ इंटरनेट शटडाउन: अधिकारों के हनन में एशिया प्रशांत सबसे आगे
Ghana’s anti-LGBTQ+ bill

Our rights are at stake: it’s time to reclaim freedom of expression

21 Feb 2025

Given the escalating use of free speech claims as a shield for inciting hatred and violence, it is more urgent than ever to reaffirm what freedom of expression truly stands for.

Press Release
Our rights are at stake: it’s time to reclaim freedom of expression
21 Feb 2025
Our rights are at stake: it’s time to reclaim freedom of expression
AI

Submission on Sri Lanka’s draft National Strategy on AI 

7 Jan 2025

With increasing development of AI applications, it’s crucial for Sri Lanka to
develop a strong foundational guide for the use of emerging technology.

Publication
Submission on Sri Lanka’s draft National Strategy on AI 
7 Jan 2025
Submission on Sri Lanka’s draft National Strategy on AI 
Authorities Gabon #KeepItOn

#KeepItOn: authorities in Pakistan must stop the ongoing suppression of digital rights

12 Dec 2024

The #KeepItOn coalition urges the government of Pakistan to immediately bring an end to the ongoing blatant violation of fundamental rights in the country.

Press Release
#KeepItOn: authorities in Pakistan must stop the ongoing suppression of digital rights
12 Dec 2024
#KeepItOn: authorities in Pakistan must stop the ongoing suppression of digital rights