Access Now

Sound of the silenced: voices from the connectivity crisis Connectivity is a critical lifeline that must be protected. Yet in times of crisis, those in power deliberately cut off internet access when people need it the most, putting lives at risk. When the internet goes dark, voices are silenced, safety is compromised, and human rights violations go unchecked. From Palestine to Ethiopia, Iran to Afghanistan, Myanmar to Venezuela, access can determine who survives a crisis.

A digital attack is never just a technical incident. It often comes with psychological distress, leads to burnout, and opens up new threats to physical safety that require expert support. At the same time, individuals coping with harassment or online violence often need more than mental health support; they need immediate technical assistance to secure their digital presence and stay safe.

Internet shutdowns are widely viewed as an attack on human rights. But that wasn’t always the case. A decade ago, civil society groups  joined forces to push back against deliberate network disruptions, and today, the resistance to shutdowns is stronger than ever. As Access Now and the #KeepItOn community mark the 10th anniversary of the #KeepItOn campaign in 2026, we’re reflecting on the path travelled so far — and the journey still to come as we continue to fight to #KeepItOn around the world.

Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition — a global network of over 370 organizations from 106 countries working to end internet shutdowns, through an open letter, are urging Zambian authorities to ensure unfettered access to the internet throughout the upcoming elections.

For the attention of President Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia CC: Eng. Collins Mbulo, Director General of the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA); Eng.

Imagine a basketball game where one team writes the rules, owns the court, and controls the referee. The crowd is silenced before tip-off, and the opposing players are warned that every play could end the match. That is not a free and fair game, it is a performance of control. The new wave of social media regulations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region works just like that.

Join the Zoom event Session description: This civil society-led counter-event to the AI for Good Global Summit takes a critical look at the overhyped role of AI in solving humanity’s long-standing problems, and at the UN’s ongoing partnerships with tech companies increasingly implicated in human rights abuses, violence, and armed conflict.

Access Now joins more than 20 human rights organizations and individuals in condemning Pegasus spyware attack against Stelios Kouloglou, Greek journalist and then-Member of the European Parliament, while he was serving on the PEGA committee, a European Parliament committee that investigated Pegasus and other spyware abuses, as revealed by the Citizen Lab.

Session Description: The rise of the anti-rights movement is accelerating the criminalization of LGBTQ+ people and identity in Africa. In Senegal, the government’s amendment of Article 319 of Senegal’s Penal Code has triggered alarming crackdowns on LGBTQ+ people, online and offline. In Ghana, members of parliament recently passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, which will increase censorship and surveillance of LGBTQ+ people in Ghana.

Note: On June 24, 2026, Cellebrite responded, denying the allegations made in our joint letter.