IOM’s digital tool aims to speed up migrant removals, but at what cost?

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) purports to “ensure the dignity, safety and protection of people in the most challenging crisis response contexts in the world.” But human rights experts are raising the alarm that an IOM case management system may have been used to deport migrants with legal permission to stay in the EU, and may have been deployed by countries with poor human rights records without oversight. Speaking to The New Humanitarian, Access Now’s Giulio Coppi warns that the system exemplifies IOM's shift away from humanitarianism, toward functioning “more as an on-demand migration control support role for governments.” Read more via The New Humanitarian

Move fast, break human rights

READ: “Private tech, humanitarian problems: how to ensure digital transformation does no harm”

When humanitarian organizations partner with tech companies to modernize or improve their systems and services, it can expose already vulnerable people to additional human rights violations. Our 2024 report on humanitarian tech explains why, and offers recommendations to help keep people safe. Read more via Access Now

We can’t normalize this

Civil society’s call to address democratic backsliding and risks to rule of law in Italy

Italy’s newly enacted Security Decree risks criminalizing the right to protest, discriminating against migrant and racialized people, and contravening international human rights law, according to UN and other experts. Along with more than 80 civil society partners, Access Now has written to the European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, to warn of the decree’s potential to damage digital rights by allowing law enforcement to collect biometric data from protesters, among other risks. Commissioner McGrath must act against this alarming development, by urging the Italian government to repeal the law and comply with the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights. Read more via European Civic Forum

Connectivity, corruption, and control

The Trump administration leaned on African countries to get business for Elon Musk

In theory, satellite internet connectivity could help close “digital divides” globally, but corporate dominance in the sector risks worsening accessibility and affordability issues. A must-read ProPublica investigation examines how the U.S. administration has pressured the governments of Gambia, Cameroon, Lesotho, and Bangladesh to fast-track licensing for Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet services — highlighting the threat to transparency, fairness, and local communities’ rights. Read more via ProPublica

Will India’s new satellite internet rules impact Starlink’s ambitions?

From Africa to Southeast Asia, Starlink is expanding to every corner of the world — and India is among the targets for a new launch. Notably, India’s licensing rules force companies to provide real-time location tracking, data localization, metadata sharing, and website blocking. Access Now’s Raman Jit Singh Chima talks to Rest of World about the clash between Starlink’s ambitions and the Indian government’s efforts “to carefully and tightly control the deployment of satellite internet.” Read more via Rest of World

The human cost of state bigotry

“They’re putting our lives at risk”: how Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ+ climate unleashes abuse

Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023 (AHA) is widely recognized as among the world’s harshest anti-gay laws, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has called it “shocking and discriminatory.” Now, Human Rights Watch has published testimony from 59 people interviewed over the past two years — including families, rights organizations, activists, journalists, and lawmakers — to document the devastating human rights impact and push for change. Read more via Human Rights Watch

READ: “How Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws entrap people online”

Laws that criminalize same-sex relations give authorities the power to subject LGBTQ+ people to unacceptable privacy violations, and to pursue unethical modes of investigation that have enabled abuses of power such as doxxing, extortion, arbitrary detention, and inhumane and degrading treatment. In case you missed it, Access Now’s Jaimee Kokonya has examined 17 cases of catfishing and digital entrapment in Uganda, demonstrating that the failure to protect LGBTQ+ Ugandans’ digital rights is putting them at even greater risk. Read more via Access Now

Defending our right to speak out

Jordan: Lift ban on news sites and protect the right to freedom of expression

Jordanian authorities have ordered the blocking of at least 12 independent news sites on vague grounds, following the publication of investigative reports alleging that official Jordanian institutions profited from the coordination of humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza. We joined ARTICLE 19 and other rights groups to demand the government lift the ban and conduct a thorough review of Jordan’s dangerous cybercrime law, which enables authorities to target and harass journalists and activists who criticize the government. Read more via ARTICLE 19

BREAKING: Egypt illegally detaining Alaa Abd el-Fattah, UN investigators find

We are relieved to see the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention confirm what we have long known: the imprisonment of Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah is arbitrary and illegal. He must be released immediately and given reparations, as the UN body stipulates. His mother Laila Soueif continues to suffer from her hunger strike, and time is running out. Join the push for his release: follow @FreedomForAlaa on Instagram and X for the latest updates, and if you’re in the UK, write your MP and demand action now. Read more via The Guardian

Opportunities and other highlights

APPLY: Pulitzer Center’s South-to-South AI Accountability CoLab

Want to learn about AI accountability and governance? The Pulitzer Center is currently accepting applications from civil society members, academics, or researchers in Africa, Latin America, and South or Southeast Asia for a three-day virtual learning circle. The regional-specific Peer Learning Circle sessions, running throughout June and July, will support participants to examine AI’s real-world impacts and shape systems that serve the public interest. Application deadlines vary by region. Read more via The Pulitzer Center

FINAL CALL: Global Gathering 2025 applications

Now’s your chance to join more than 1,000 technologists, researchers, and frontline defenders to discuss privacy and security, disinformation, AI, surveillance and censorship, and more at Team CommUNITY’s 2025 Global Gathering (Estoril, Portugal, September 8-10). Apply here by June 20 to claim your free spot. Read more via Team CommUNITY

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