Tag: Business & Human Rights

Access joins coalition opposing crypto backdoors, but that’s just the beginning.

This year, 11 companies published transparency reports for the first time, including Snapchat, Kickstarter, and GitHub. We take a look at the information that some of these companies are sharing (or not sharing), and the implications for users’ rights.

The internet has enabled significant advances in health, education, and creativity, and it is now essential to fully realize human rights. We wouldn’t allow a government to shut off water to an entire city. It’s time we say no to internet shutdowns.

Major UN and international rights experts have just declared that internet kill switches are absolutely impermissible under international human rights law, even in times of conflict. This historic statement holds that governments can no longer justify ordering telecommunications companies to shut off mobile or internet services in the face of social unrest or protest. It is a critical decision that impacts the rights of people who are protesting from Burundi to Baltimore.

Access advises the Council of Europe to develop guidance for regulations that protects users’ freedom of expression and freedom from surveillance

Turkey recently blocked users’ access to Twitter and YouTube in an effort to censor material posted by users, just as it did in March of last year. If users are willing to fight back against government censorship, social media companies should support them in their efforts