Tag: internet shutdowns
Blog
Voices from Tigray: ongoing internet shutdown tearing families, communities, businesses apart
Since the start of the Tigray conflict in November 2020, warring parties in Ethiopia have used internet and telecommunication shutdowns as a weapon to control and censor information.…
13 September 2021
Blog
4 ways the international community can protect Belarusian civil society under attack
One year after Belarus’ disputed 2020 elections, government crackdowns have made it nearly impossible for civil society to operate within the country. Here’s how the international community can help.…
3 September 2021
Blog
Internet shutdowns during exams: when MENA governments fail the test
National secondary and high school exams are a big deal in the Arab world. But when MENA governments cut off internet access nationwide to stop students from sharing exam answers, they also block access to essential online services.…
7 July 2021
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At the U.N., a new push to end surveillance of protesters — and protect their lawyers
Digital surveillance is threatening the right to protest worldwide. U.N. human rights expert Clément Voule is fighting for strong encryption and tight restrictions on the use of spyware. Here’s why that push is important for human rights lawyers and the activists they represent.…
7 July 2021
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RightsCon checklist: 15 ways to save the internet and protect democracy
Speaking at a panel discussion at RightsCon, Access Now’s Brett Solomon outlined 15 things governments can do to make sure technology is used to defend — not destroy— democracy and human rights. Read the checklist and watch the full session on YouTube.…
8 June 2021
Press Releases
The Myanmar junta must stop its assault on internet access, digital rights
Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition call on authorities in Myanmar to immediately stop implementing internet shutdowns and abandon all efforts to pick and choose who should have internet access reinstated. …
30 May 2021
Blog
Russia throttled Twitter to censor content — Here’s what happens next
On March 10, 2021, the Russian agency responsible for ensuring compliance with media and telecommunications laws, Roskomnadzor, announced that it would slow down Twitter on “100 percent of mobile services and 50 percent desktop services.” The reason Russia throttled Twitter:…
15 March 2021
Blog
Can human rights survive the digital age? Only if we do these things
“We’re at a human rights tipping point.” On Human Rights Day of 2020, Access Now’s Brett Solomon maps out a pathway to take us to a full implementation and vindication of these rights, not just in principle, but in policy and practice. …
10 December 2020
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Fighting systemic racism in the digital age: a global challenge
On Human Rights Day of 2020, we highlight the mandate of E. Tendayi Achiume, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance to fight systematic racism.…
9 December 2020
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More than 3.5 billion left in the dark: why we’re still fighting to reach U.N. targets for internet access
If we don’t reach U.N. targets for internet access — providing everyone, everywhere with affordable, open, secure, and high-quality connectivity — we won’t meet the sustainable development goals by 2030. …
5 November 2020
Blog
Meerim Ilyas to help Access Now Grants target support for digital rights activists at the front lines
We’re excited to welcome Meerim Ilyas to the Access Now Grants program’s Advisory Board, and to share her reflections on the human rights challenges we face and how funding organizations should respond.…
14 October 2020
Blog
Internet shutdowns in Algeria and Sudan: damaging practices during exceptional circumstances
Shutting down the internet to prevent cheating on exams is not efficient or effective. Rather, shutdowns hurt human rights, disrupt public affairs, and cause huge financial losses that compound the longer the shutdown lasts.…
5 October 2020