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Peter Micek, Esq.

General Counsel

Peter Micek is General Counsel and UN Policy Manager at Access Now, based in New York City. Peter Micek leads the Legal arm, managing risk to global programming and operations, closely with the organization’s Digital Security Helpline, Grants, and RightsCon teams. The Legal arm engages in strategic litigation and bolsters legal support for civic space online and civil society actors globally. As UN Policy Manager, Peter advances international norms and law on digital rights, including on privacy and spyware, censorship and internet shutdowns, and digital identity programs. Peter is also Lecturer at the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) on internet governance and public policy in the digital age, and sits on the Advisory Board of the Univ. of Oklahoma College of Law’s Center for International Business and Human Rights, and formerly the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Future of Cybersecurity. A lawyer by training, Peter completed a JD cum laude at the University of San Francisco School of Law, and in 2010 published “A Genealogy of Home Visits,” critiquing surveillance of at-risk communities. As a law student, Peter defended independent journalists and engaged in Freedom of Information litigation at First Amendment Project. Peter studied political science and journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. He is licensed by the state bars of California and New York, and has no cats.

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Access Now welcomes human rights partnership between telcos and GNI

1 Feb 2016

The GNI is a global, collaborative initiative that works to protect and advance freedom of expression and privacy in the ICT sector. Now, seven telecommunications companies have joined the initiative as observers, a laudable step toward increased accountability for respecting human rights.

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Access Now welcomes human rights partnership between telcos and GNI
1 Feb 2016
Access Now welcomes human rights partnership between telcos and GNI
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Telcos find backbone, deny Guinea’s request for users’ data

27 Jan 2016

In the west African nation of Guinea Conakry, three telcos just said “no” to government demands that they hand over all subscriber and call data.

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Telcos find backbone, deny Guinea’s request for users’ data
27 Jan 2016
Telcos find backbone, deny Guinea’s request for users’ data
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Five years later: the internet shutdown that rocked Egypt

22 Jan 2016

Five years ago, activists in Egypt carried out protests that inspired the world. The government responded by shutting off the internet. Today, in Egypt and across the globe, internet shutdowns continue — and they must be stopped.

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Five years later: the internet shutdown that rocked Egypt
22 Jan 2016
Five years later: the internet shutdown that rocked Egypt
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Etisalat shuts off internet services in Egypt and Morocco

6 Jan 2016

Telcos have shut down some internet services in Morocco and Egypt, creating anti-competitive network discrimination and damaging free expression in the region.

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Etisalat shuts off internet services in Egypt and Morocco
6 Jan 2016
Etisalat shuts off internet services in Egypt and Morocco
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Politwoops is coming back! Inside Twitter’s transparency reboot

4 Jan 2016

This New Year’s Eve, we reached an agreement with Twitter and our partners to bring back the transparency and accountability tool called Politwoops.

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Politwoops is coming back! Inside Twitter’s transparency reboot
4 Jan 2016
Politwoops is coming back! Inside Twitter’s transparency reboot
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After Brazil shutdown, WhatsApp deserves support, not blame

21 Dec 2015

A judge in Brazil ordered a WhatsApp shutdown, and Telefónica lashed out…at WhatsApp. Our open letter to Telefónica explains that telcos should push back on shutdown requests, not shame companies.

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After Brazil shutdown, WhatsApp deserves support, not blame
21 Dec 2015
After Brazil shutdown, WhatsApp deserves support, not blame
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Human rights central to new WSIS agreement at U.N.

14 Dec 2015

Our take on the new WSIS agreement and how it addresses human rights, openness, digital security, and Net Neutrality.

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Human rights central to new WSIS agreement at U.N.
14 Dec 2015
Human rights central to new WSIS agreement at U.N.
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Turkey’s YouTube ban violated human rights

2 Dec 2015

Europe’s highest human rights court ruled that Turkey violated internet users’ right to freedom of expression when it banned YouTube between 2008 and 2010.

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Turkey’s YouTube ban violated human rights
2 Dec 2015
Turkey’s YouTube ban violated human rights
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Coalition urges Turkey to cease online censorship on eve of elections

29 Oct 2015

Today a coalition of Turkish and international media, human rights organizations, and political groups have published an Open Letter to the Turkish Government demanding that it protect Turkish people’s right to freedom of expression during the elections. The letter underscores the fact that social media and independent media websites help to ensure access to information in Turkey, and asks the government to pledge not to block access to the internet or to specific online services.

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Coalition urges Turkey to cease online censorship on eve of elections
29 Oct 2015
Coalition urges Turkey to cease online censorship on eve of elections
Victory for digital equity: court upholds New York's broadband price cap for low-income families

Twitter CEO Responds to Pressure from Rights Groups

21 Oct 2015

San Francisco – Today Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey pledged his company’s support for free expression, accountability, and transparency. His statement — including an explicit mention of Politwoops, the politician accountability tool — is a clear response to grassroots pressure, including an open letter signed by 50 global groups in support of Politwoops.

Press Release
Twitter CEO Responds to Pressure from Rights Groups
21 Oct 2015
Twitter CEO Responds to Pressure from Rights Groups
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