As @meeks.house.gov stands up for a clean FISA reauthorization to preserve the data broker loophole for warrantless spying on everyone in the US, Fight for the Future, @stopspyingny.bsky.social and @accessnow.org have issued the following joint statement: www.fightforthefuture.org/news/2026-04...
Today marks 3 years of war in Sudan. Beyond the devastating humanitarian toll, connectivity remains under attack: internet shutdowns, damaged infrastructure + repeated disruptions cut people off from information + safety.
Connectivity is an essential humanitarian infrastructure.
Join my session on “Democracy Disconnected: fighting against election shutdowns in Africa” on April 15 at 10:10 am GMT at Radisson Blu, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Are you attending #DRIF2026?
We’ll be there and would love for you to join our session tomorrow at 10:10 GMT, where we’ll unpack how internet shutdowns have become a go-to tactic for governments across Africa to control information around elections, and how to push back. #KeepItOn
We told Meta their new glasses will be weaponized by stalkers, abusers, federal agents and sexual predators to harm some of the most vulnerable in our communities. www.wired.com/story/meta-r...
@acluwa.bsky.social @accessnow.org @epic.org @civilrightsorg.bsky.social
Joint Action❗️ #SaudiArabia: NGOs call for immediate release of Saudi Wikipedian Osama Khalid, whose 14-year sentence was upheld recently
@alqst.bsky.social @accessnow.org @dawnmenaorg.bsky.social @eff.org
gc4hr.org/actions/ngos...
Together with Rightify Ghana, we urge members of parliament in Ghana to put human rights first and reject the dangerous 2025 Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill!
If passed, it’ll violate LGBTQ+ people’s fundamental rights.
www.accessnow.org/press-releas...
Civil society is under increasing threat online.
But there are ways to protect yourself; read the full report + learn how to keep your community safe:
www.accessnow.org/mena-phishin...
When spear-phishing attacks like these succeed, the impact isn’t limited to one person. Access to a single account can expose entire networks, including colleagues, sources, and family members, to attacks, especially in environments where repression is already a reality.
Based on their independent assessment of our investigation, Lookout suggests that the operation is likely linked to a hack-for-hire group with ties to Asia, using infrastructure that could also be used to deliver spyware.
Egyptian journalists and gov’t critics Mostafa Al-A’sar and Ahmed Eltantawy were targeted with spear phishing, using highly personalized messages that look like they came from trusted people and services. @smex.org identified a similar attack against a third victim.
Espionage enabling repression? The latest investigation by our Digital Security Helpline shows how it’s happening!
Espionage enables repression!
In collaboration with Lookout + @smex.org, our Digital Security Helpline exposes a hack-for-hire phishing campaign targeting journalists and dissidents in the MENA region.
Here’s what we found, and what it means for civil society 🧵
313 internet shutdowns. 52 countries. One year.
Iran just hit 36 days offline – on track for a record.
Governments are getting sophisticated. So what can people do to fight back?
🎧 Somewhere on Earth – listen now: www.spreaker.com/episode/the-...
We know our community is navigating uncertainty around traveling to RightsCon 2026 through the Gulf region.
Following the escalation of the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran, multiple countries across the region have closed their airspace.
Visa Deadline Alert! 🚨
If you're joining us in Zambia for #RightsCon2026, the window for visa support is closing. You have until April 3 to request your supporting documents.
To check if you need a visa, how to request the documents, and the e-Visa process, go to: www.rightscon.org/rc26-visa/
The fight is growing. So is the response. Many international organizations and diplomatic bodies pushed back against shutdowns in 2025. Civil society compelled governments to reverse shutdown orders. And we won't rest until all actors stop deliberately disrupting networks. Read the full report
The fight is growing. So is the response.
Many international organizations and diplomatic bodies pushed back against shutdowns in 2025.
And we won't rest until all actors stop deliberately disrupting networks.
Read the full report ▶️ www.accessnow.org/internet-shu...
Communities are fighting back! In Tanzania, thousands were shot in the streets under cover of a complete internet blackout. It was not enough to silence resistance. “Despite the shutdown preventing immediate wide sharing, we were able to disseminate the information online in small batches for the rest of the world to see.” — Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi.
Communities are fighting back!
In Tanzania, thousands were shot in the streets under cover of a complete internet blackout. It was not enough to silence resistance.
Some governments have made shutdowns a habit. We saw: Myanmar: 95 shutdowns India: 65 shutdowns Pakistan: 20 shutdowns Tanzania: 8 shutdowns
Some governments have made shutdowns a habit.
We saw:
Myanmar: 95 shutdowns
India: 65 shutdowns
Pakistan: 20 shutdowns
Tanzania: 8 shutdowns 🧵 ⬇️
When the internet goes dark, atrocities follow. We documented: 125 conflict-related shutdowns across 14 countries 70 shutdowns that coincided with murder, torture, or apparent war crimes in 21 countries
When the internet goes dark, atrocities follow.
We documented:
125 conflict-related shutdowns across 14 countries
70 shutdowns that coincided with murder, torture, or apparent war crimes in 21 countries 🧵
By the numbers… Not a single day of 2025 passed without at least one internet shutdown: 313 shutdowns documented in 2025 52 countries affected 100 countries have experienced a shutdown since 2016 When 2026 started, 75 of those shutdowns were still ongoing. Some communities have been cut off for months.
By the numbers…
Not a single day of 2025 passed without at least one internet shutdown:
-313 shutdowns documented in 2025
-52 countries affected
=100 countries have experienced a shutdown since 2016
When 2026 started, 75 of those shutdowns were still ongoing. 🌎🧵
In 2025, we tracked more internet shutdowns than ever before. Here's what we found, and why it matters
NEW | 2025 was a record year for internet shutdowns — 313 times.
Authorities imposed shutdowns to control information and restrict access.
The #KeepItOn coalition spent last year documenting shutdowns across the world.
These are the findings ⬇️ 🧵
As conflicts escalate, so does digital propaganda for war.
In this session, @zaghdoudist explores how to build a coordinated, human rights-based response, and whether a framework inspired by the “Rabat Plan of Action” can guide policy and accountability.
events.ringcentral.com/events/pdaf-...
AI is increasingly shaping humanitarian work — but sometimes organizations might not even be aware of it.
Our new report examines how algorithmic systems are quietly entering the humanitarian tech stack through existing digital platforms and services.
Read: www.accessnow.org/ai-infiltrat...
For those who missed the first webinar from our digital security series on spear phishing, you can now catch-up!
Watch here ⬇️
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmkH...
The global fight to #KeepItOn Around the world, perpetrators use internet shutdowns to disconnect people from communication, information, and essential services. These disruptions undermine human rights and affect millions of people arrow to the right
What is an internet shutdown? An internet shutdown is an intentional disruption of internet or electronic communications, rendering them inaccessible or effectively unusable, for a specific population or within a location, often to exert control over the flow of information. Shutdowns can take many forms: Disruption of full networks Slowing of internet speed (throttling) Blocking of digital communication platforms or services
Shutdowns block journalism, restrict free expression and community organizing, and prevent documentation of human rights abuses. Shutdowns also affect: Education Essential services and medical care Humanitarian aid delivery Work and economic activity Banking
Documenting shutdowns matters! To fight internet shutdowns, they must first be documented. Through the #KeepItOn coalition, we track, verify, and document internet shutdowns in the Shutdowns Tracker Optimization Project (STOP) dataset. This works helps: Advocate for policies that protect connectivity Support communities affected by disruptions Hold authorities accountable for imposing shutdowns
Every year, authorities cut more people around the world off from the internet.
Next week we’ll release our new report: “Rising repression meets global resistance: Internet shutdowns in 2025.”
Visit our website for more: www.accessnow.org/campaign/kee...
We’re proud to announce that we’ve joined the Stop Killer Robots (@StopKillerRobots) coalition, a global network of 300+ organisations across 70+ countries working to ensure machines aren’t entrusted with life or death decisions. 🤖🎉
stopkillerrobots.org/a-global-pus...
Traveling to RightsCon 2026 in Zambia? Here's everything you need to know about visas — before it's too late.
Traveling to #RightsCon2026 in Zambia? Your visa process starts NOW.
If you need a visa to attend, our team is ready to support you every step of the way. Don't miss the deadline: April 3 is the last day to request your supporting documents
Read more ▶️ www.rightscon.org/rc26-visa/
Reminder: Iran has been offline since Feb 28, when U.S. + Israeli strikes began. Not a glitch.
When bombs fell, Iranian authorities pulled the plug, leaving millions with no internet, no visibility, no calls for help, no accountability. End the shutdown. #KeepItOn
www.accessnow.org/press-releas...
Arzu Geybulla didn't just study repression — she lived it. Grew up under it. Is targeted by it. And has spent more than a decade in exile because of it.
In our latest blog, our new Co-Executive Director reflects on her path leading her to Access Now.
Read more: www.accessnow.org/fighting-for...
5 years after the coup, Myanmar's junta continues to systematically oppress its people — mass arrests, killings, internet shutdowns. Now they want legitimacy through military-controlled elections.
Access Now's Wai Phyo Mint & Darika Bamrungchok write. ⬇️ www.techpolicy.press/five-years-a...
Protecting and restoring access to open and secure communications networks is a must during armed conflict - #KeepItOn!
Read our statement: www.accessnow.org/press-releas...