Global coalition of NGOs call for immediate ceasefire in Lebanon

In September, as Israel escalated its attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon, pagers and walkie-talkies were used as bombs, indiscriminately killing innocent civilians. Two months later, after Israel launched its ever-expanding, ongoing ground invasion, thousands of people have been killed and injured, and more than 1.2 million have been displaced — including over 460,000 people who have crossed into Syria, where returning refugees face persecution and prosecution. Enough is enough; Israel’s relentless escalation must stop. Access Now, along with more than 50 other global civil society organizations, is urging the international community to press for an immediate and durable ceasefire. Read more via Access Now

Bad laws lead to bad things

How cybercrime laws in Arab countries violate free expression and privacy (in Arabic)

Cybercrime laws are supposed to keep people safer. But in a number of Arab countries, they’re used to silence human rights defenders, journalists, and others speaking truth to power. Our new Arabic-language report, Cybercrime laws in the Arab region: an instrument for online protection or freedom suppression? shows how these laws undermine people’s rights, in contravention of international human rights standards. Read more via Access Now

U.S. defends support for controversial UN cybercrime treaty

Authoritarian governments may soon have a new tool to defend the rights-violating cybercrime laws they use to target civil society and human rights defenders. This week, UN member states, including the U.S. and UK, approved the text of the flawed Cybercrime Convention, clearing the way for adoption by the UN General Assembly before the end of the year. While U.S. officials acknowledged the treaty could be used to violate human rights, they voted yes anyway, pledging to demand accountability for misuse. That’s not enough. “Western states have a last opportunity in December to establish a clear line saying, ‘If you do not choose to implement this treaty in this human rights respecting way, we will not be able to sign, we will not be able to ratify, and we will not be able to implement international cooperation under the treaty,’” says Access Now’s Raman Jit Singh Chima. Read more via The Record

Tales from the resistance

Tech workers’ testimonies: stories of suppression of Palestinian advocacy in the workplace

No one should be punished for defending human rights. But according to a new report from 7amleh, Big Tech companies including Meta, Google, and Microsoft are carrying out censorship, discriminatory policies, and punitive measures against employees who are advocating for Palestinians’ rights. Read the report; then join a webinar on November 21, organized by 7amleh and the Tech Workers Coalition, to hear directly from the impacted tech workers. Read more via 7amleh

#NoTechForGenocide

It’s no wonder that employees are speaking out. From biometric surveillance to the use of AI for military targeting, technology is playing a central role in enabling the relentless mass slaughter and destruction unleashed in Gaza. In case you missed it, here’s our recent post on why Big Tech companies risk complicity in what the UN’s top independent expert on Palestine describes as an unfolding genocide. Read more via Access Now

Kenya: backsliding on digital rights?

Authorities in Kenya must restore access to Telegram

Kenya is part of the 41-government Freedom Online Coalition, which has repeatedly condemned internet shutdowns. The government has also committed to the UN Global Digital Compact, which stipulates that states refrain from network disruptions. Yet this week, Kenyan authorities announced they would block the messaging platform Telegram ahead of and throughout the country’s secondary school exams — the second time they have blocked the platform during national exams, despite the fact that such blocking is an ineffective and disproportionate measure against exam cheating. Access Now joined our #KeepItOn coalition partners in asking the Kenyan government to explain its actions. Read more via Access Now

Shaping AI’s future

REPORT: How Denmark’s AI-powered welfare system fuels surveillance and risks discriminating against marginalized groups

Using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to detect social benefits fraud could end up automating discrimination against people with disabilities, low-income individuals, migrants, refugees, and racialized groups. That’s according to a new Amnesty International report, Coded injustice: surveillance and discrimination in Denmark’s automated welfare state, which takes a close look at the use of AI by Denmark’s welfare authority, Udbetaling Danmark (UDK). The same concerns have been raised about use of AI tools for welfare programs in the UK, France, and the Netherlands. Read more via Amnesty International

Call to participate in the EU consultation on the AI Act

The EU’s recently adopted AI Act has serious loopholes and exemptions that weaken its protections for human rights. But it remains important to push for the strongest possible implementation of the law and the rights-protecting tools it does include. The European Commission is launching a four-week public consultation on the law’s definition of AI and prohibited practices. You can submit your views until December 11. Read more via European Commission

Defending the defenders

Alaa Abd el-Fattah: NGOs send letter to UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention

Egyptian authorities are still refusing to release British-Egyptian human rights activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, who has been unjustly imprisoned for most of the last decade. Alaa has already served out his most recent five-year prison sentence. This week, Access Now and a coalition of 25 other civil rights organizations sent a letter asking the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) to issue an opinion on Alaa’s case, now pending for over a year. Join us in the push to #FreeAlaa. Read more via English PEN

Keeping each other safe

HOW TO: protect yourself from government surveillance

In the wake of the U.S. presidential election, many people in the U.S. — including human rights advocates — are worried about increased government surveillance and targeting. This guide from WIRED has tips for protecting your privacy online, from encrypting your messages and devices, to disabling location tracking and staying anonymous. Read more via WIRED

If you’re defending human rights, we’re here for you

Remember, if you’re part of a civil society group, media organization, or human rights NGO, and you need emergency technical assistance and advice to increase your safety online, our Digital Security Helpline is a resource for you. Our team of technologists is available 24/7, and we can help you in nine languages. Read more via Access Now

Opportunities and other highlights

APPLY: We’re hiring!

We’re still looking for a Program Associate focused on the Middle East and North Africa, and a Platform Engagement Coordinator for our Digital Security Helpline. If you’re excited about defending digital rights worldwide, learn more and apply. Read more via Access Now

Migration & Technology Monitor fellowship

People with lived experience of migration should be able to contribute to the research, storytelling, policy development, technology implementation, and advocacy conversations surrounding border and migration justice. Learn about the fellowship opportunity at the Migration & Technology Monitor, and apply by December 31. Read more via MTM

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