Access Now Blog
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Turkey v. encryption: An attack on freedom of expression
Earlier this week, two foreign journalists for Vice working in southeastern Turkey were arrested, raising concerns about the journalists’ safety and security. In a dark reminder of the “Crypto Wars” of the 1990s, a Turkish official stated yesterday that the main reason that these journalists were detained is that they use encryption. This morning, the news surfaced that the journalists have been released and are free to leave the country, although the charges against them have not been dropped. A local translator who had been working with them remains in custody.
This incident raises serious issues for digital rights and digital security, and could cause a powerful chilling effect for freedom of expression — not just in Turkey, but in other conflict-prone regions around the world.
…3 September 2015
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Emerging threats in cybersecurity and data protection legislation in African Union countries
In January 2015, heads of state met at the 24th African Union Summit to discuss the “African Union Agenda 2063” with the goal of enabling “a continent on equal footing with the rest of the world as an information society.” While Access applauds the human rights protections enshrined in the convention, we are deeply troubled by draft legislation that has emerged across the continent that tramples rights in the name of implementing the convention. …
13 February 2015
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Les manigances des opérateurs de télécommunications tunisiens pour prendre internet en otage
Selon des rumeurs circulant depuis peu, les trois opérateurs de télécommunications tunisiens, Tunisie Telecom, Orange, et Ooredoo, pourraient conclure un accord limitant l’accès de leurs clients aux services de voix sur IP (également appelé VoIP). Si cette information se vérifie, ledit accord aurait un impact considérable sur la liberté d’expression des utilisateurs en ligne.…
1 October 2014
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Tunisian Telcos’ plan to take the internet hostage
There are rumors circulating that Tunisia’s three telecommunications operators, Tunisie Telecom, Orange, and Ooredoo, might enter into an agreement limiting customers’ access to voice over IP (VoIP) services. If implemented, this agreement would dramatically impact users’ freedom of expression online.…
1 October 2014
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Africa moves towards a common cyber security legal framework
Over June 20-27, the AU Heads of State will be meeting where they’re expected to adopt a new Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection. While Access and other partners criticized an earlier draft of the Convention, the rewritten draft has yet to be released to the public, even as it races closer to adoption.
…2 June 2014
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Access welcomes MTN Human Rights Policy
The South Africa-based telco MTN, which operates in 21 countries across the Middle East and Africa, recently released its first Group Human Rights Policy. MTN announced its support for user rights to privacy, security, communication and information, using the Access “Telco Action Plan” as a guiding policy document.…
20 May 2014