IGF 2024: civil society demands action

Saudi Arabia’s appalling human rights track record stands in direct contradiction to IGF 2024’s stated aim of “advancing human rights and inclusion in the digital age.” We can’t let the Saudi authorities use their role as IGF host to whitewash or legitimize horrific oppression. Together with our partners, we’re urging the Saudi government to release all prisoners detained for exercising free expression, and to guarantee the rights and safety of all IGF participants — particularly civil society. We ask all IGF attendees to join us in the effort to hold the Saudi government accountable. Read more via Access Now

#SayTheirNames

Who wins from IGF? Not those locked up for speaking out

In Saudi Arabia, activists, journalists, and human rights defenders can be imprisoned for up to 45 years simply for expressing dissent online. Doctors and teachers, mothers and students, humanitarian workers and women’s rights activists are among those unjustly jailed. Read the new op-ed from Access Now’s Executive Director, Alejandro Mayoral Baños, and Quinn McKew, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19, which highlights activists’ stories and explains why we chose not to attend IGF in person this year, taking a stand against the co-opting of IGF by powers that blatantly disregard human rights. Read more via Tech Policy Press

EVENT TODAY: “When digital rights collide with digital oppression”

Unity is our strength. Join us today, Friday, December 13 at 4pm CET for a live-streamed discussion co-organized by Access Now, ALQST for Human Rights, and the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) to hear from Saudi activists, human rights organizations, and digital rights advocates. They will share insights on the current human rights situation in Saudi Arabia, as we explore the ethical concerns raised by the government hosting IGF and the need to work together to protect digital rights. Watch the live-stream here. Read more via Access Now

Spotlight on: Pakistan

#KeepItOn: Authorities in Pakistan must stop suppressing digital rights

As part of an ongoing government crackdown on dissent, people in Pakistan are facing online censorship threats and repeated internet shutdowns. Ever since elections in February, the government has imposed multiple shutdowns and platform blocks. Authorities are also reportedly discussing a total ban on virtual private networks (VPNs), which religious clerics have declared “un-Islamic” when used to view "indecent content and false propaganda.” Meanwhile the government is reportedly building a national “firewall” to block access to “unwanted” content. Join us in urging authorities to stop attacking human rights and restore internet access immediately. Read more via Access Now

Legalizing Big Brother

In a further attempt to strangle digital spaces and free speech, Pakistani authorities are reportedly planning “wholesale changes” to the infamous Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (PECA). Since its inception, this controversial cybercrime legislation has been abused to target political workers, journalists, activists, and citizens, and even to ban dating and live streaming apps. The proposed amendments will only make it worse, argues Usama Khilji, director of Pakistan-based research and advocacy organization Bolo Bhi. Read more via Dawn

The global battle to control VPNs

Pakistan is only one of many countries threatening VPN access. Coda Story looks at the status of VPN access from Russia to Myanmar, sharing which governments have banned them completely, which require registration, and where people are still free to use them despite facing other internet restrictions. Read more via Coda Story

We can be heroes

She escaped an abusive marriage — now she helps women battle cyber harassment

Only 26% of women in Pakistan have access to the internet, and once they get online, they often face gender-based violence. WIRED interviews Nighat Dad, founder of the Digital Rights Foundation in Pakistan, who shares insights on the battle to make the internet safer and more accessible for everyone, rooted in her personal experience of digital surveillance and abuse. Read more via WIRED

How to #KeepItOn during conflict

Evading telecommunication disruption during conflicts: a Sudan case study

Sudan is facing what the International Rescue Committee is calling the "biggest humanitarian crisis ever recorded.” As the brutal civil war rages on, people are displaced, disconnected, and starving, as the lack of internet access hampers the delivery of desperately needed aid. Read the case study from AMEL’s Sudan Democratic Action Project to learn why it’s critical to safeguard telecommunications services in conflict, and what steps local and international actors can take to protect connectivity. Read more via AMEL

We want to hear your shutdown stories

Have you been affected by the internet shutdowns in Sudan? Whether you’re in Sudan or part of the diaspora, we want to hear from you. Share your story to help guide our #KeepItOn coalition work fighting internet shutdowns. You are welcome to share your experiences under an alias rather than your real name. Read more via Access Now

Opportunities and other highlights

New toolkit to guide national human rights institutions in Africa on defending digital rights

Digital rights are human rights, but not everyone is equipped to defend them. A new toolkit from the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL), the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), and Paradigm Initiative (PIN) aims to shed light on the intersection of traditionally recognized rights and digital technology. It covers digital rights violations from internet shutdowns and restrictive content moderation policies to widespread and unchecked digital surveillance. Read more via CIPESA

APPLY: 2025 Pulse Research Fellowship and Mentorship

The Internet Society has a six-month program that supports researchers in conducting data-driven analysis or developing tools that contribute to an open, globally connected, secure, and trustworthy internet. You can also apply to be a mentor. Learn more and submit your application by December 23. Read more via the Internet Society

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