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Espionage enables repression! In collaboration with @Lookout + @SMEX, 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 🧵

Access Now's latest report on internet shutdowns reveals that 2025 was the worst year on record for digital freedom. With VPNs and satellite internet increasingly under fire, we recap the year’s biggest threats and look at what’s next for global connectivity. techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privac…

@pressfreedom @dataRights_ @HumanConstanta Our submission outlines States’ obligations, including the need for strict safeguards, independent oversight, and accessible remedies in cases of secret surveillance. Without these protections, spyware will continue to be used to silence journalists and shrink civic space.

Together with @pressfreedom, @dataRights_ + @HumanConstanta, we’ve filed an amicus brief before the European Court of Human Rights in cases concerning alleged spyware use against journalists and human rights defenders in Azerbaijan. Read more: accessnow.org/publication/am…

In Nigeria, overbroad provisions in the Cybercrimes Act continue to be used to target journalists, civil society + online expression. Join our webinar tomorrow to unpack the law, ongoing legal challenges + how to report on it through a human rights lens. accessnow.org/event/advancin…

Read our contributions in Chapters 1, 5, and 8 of the World Disasters Report by @ifrc. #WDR2026 wdr26.org/en

You can also check out our report to read testimonies from Gaza and Sudan, and learn how internet shutdowns in conflict zones inflict psychological, political, and societal harm 🔽 accessnow.org/publication/in…

When connectivity disappears during crises, the consequences are often deadly. In the 2026 World Disasters Report, our contributions across 3 chapters trace a clear pattern: when people lose access to reliable, timely information, they become isolated and face greater risk.

The winner of the Privacy and Human Rights Award has been chosen! The award recognizes individuals and organizations that excel in safeguarding privacy and other fundamental rights. Join us at #RightsCon2026 closing ceremony to discover this year’s winner!

Not a single day of 2025 passed without authorities shutting down the internet somewhere in the world. Our #KeepItOn 2025 report is out. The data is alarming, but communities are fighting back. Find out more ⬇️ accessnow.org/campaign/keepi…

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.

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 gov’ts across Africa to control information around elections, and how to push back. #KeepItOn

Saudi blogger and @Wikipedia administrator Osama Khalid, serving a 14-year prison term for his online activism, recently saw his sentence upheld. With @UniOfYork’s Centre for Applied Human Rights and several NGOs, we call for his immediate release. ➡️ alqst.org/en/post/ngos-c…

Together with @RightifyGhana, 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. accessnow.org/press-release/…

Going to #RightsCon2026? Be the first to get the latest updates. Join our new RightsCon Channel for updates, tips, and tricks to help you make the most of the even. 🔽 whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb…

#Egypt 🇪🇬 | Egyptian authorities have placed #AhmedDouma in 4 days of pretrial detention in Case No. 2449 of 2026, after he appeared before the Supreme State Security Prosecution on April 6, 2026, over an article titled: "A Prison Within the State and a State Within the Prison." 🔹 Since his release in August 2023, he has been summoned for questioning in 7 different cases. 🔹 The undersigned organizations call for his immediate release, the dropping of all charges, and an end to the prosecutions against him. humena.org/ahmed-douma-im…

Thinking of going to RightsCon 2026? Registration is still open! 4 days of networking and dialogue on the issues shaping human rights in the digital age. In person or online, this is where the community worldwide comes together. Register and learn more: rightscon.org/registration/

@Lookout @SMEX @MostafaAlasar @a_altantawyeg 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: accessnow.org/mena-phishing-…

@Lookout @SMEX @MostafaAlasar @a_altantawyeg 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.

Espionage enables repression! In collaboration with @Lookout + @SMEX, 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 🧵