, Access Now is a
501(c)(3) organization based in
New York City in the United States, with staff, operations, and activities distributed in
Brussels,
San José (Costa Rica),
Tunis, with further presences in
Berlin,
Delhi,
Nairobi, and
Manila.
RightsCon Access Now runs an annual conference,
RightsCon, which focuses on issues concerning technology's impact on human rights. The conference was first held in Silicon Valley in 2011, followed by events in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2012),
Silicon Valley (2014),
Manila, Philippines (2015), and Silicon Valley (2016); thus alternating between Silicon Valley and a city in the
Global South. RightsCon 2019 took place in
Tunis, Tunisia (1114 June). The 2019 RightsCon event gathered activists and stakeholders from all over the globe discussed the intersection between human rights and digitalization by government representatives, tech giants, policymakers, NGOs and independent activists. The discussions were about hate speech and freedom of expression, artificial intelligence, privacy and data security, open government and democracy, access, and many others. This report and data are published every spring. Access Now fights against online repression, and provides grants and support to grassroots organizations to advance the rights of users and communities at risk of digital violations.
Methodology Access Now gathers data through the Shutdown Tracker Optimization Project (STOP). Access Now defines Internet shutdowns as "an intentional disruption of the 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.". Access Now's reports are also used in calculating the total cost of internet shutdowns. Other articles use these data to track trends in internet censorship in various countries and regions.
Digital Security Helpline The organization offers a 24/7 Helpline to advise victims of cyber-crime such as cyber-attacks, spyware campaigns, data theft, and other digital malfeasance, to protect civil society from digital attacks. Starting in 2009, it has offered support and direct technical advice to activists, journalists, and other human rights campaigners Supporters claim that the helpline provides lessons on how to build comprehensive and sustainable digital infrastructures while protecting the digital rights of the people they serve, including CSOs, activists, and human rights defenders. ==References==