#KeepItOn: Togolese authorities must uphold human rights online and off

Why Annobón’s internet shutdown should matter to the world

This Sunday July 20 will mark one year since the government of Equatorial Guinea plunged the country’s smallest province, the island of Annobón, into a digital blackout, leaving Annobón’s 5,300+ residents cut off from each other and from the world, even as human rights abuses continue. People on and off the island are still suffering the effects of this ongoing shutdown; join us in petitioning authorities to end systematic human rights violations and restore internet access and communications services across Annobón. Read more via Access Now

For true peace, ceasefires must address digital warfare, too

The frontlines of 21st century warfare are increasingly digital. Yet as Access Now co-founder and former executive director Brett Solomon points out in this Tech Policy Press op-ed, the recent war between Israel and Iran demonstrates the need for peace deals to recognize the importance of connectivity in safeguarding people’s access to information, and address the dangers posed by cyber attacks and disinformation in conflict. Read more via Tech Policy Press

Digital ceasefire: the path to peace goes online

How do we define a digital ceasefire in a way that safeguards people’s rights, both online and off? In this deep dive, we lay out what a digital ceasefire could look like, based on our ongoing work with experts and consultations hosted at RightsCon 2025 and the 2024 Paris Peace Forum. Read more via Access Now

From risk to resilience: a rights-based approach to digital public infrastructure

At RightsCon 2025, Access Now, The Quantum Hub, and Australia's National Institute of Strategic Resilience (NISR) brought together civil society, academic, and private sector representatives to discuss how to build rights-respecting digital public infrastructure (DPI). The resulting policy brief offers a rights-based lens on DPI design, governance, and accountability, and how it can best serve Global Majority communities. Read more via The Quantum Hub

Why Big Tech is threatened by a global push for data sovereignty

From Nigeria to Vietnam, Global Majority governments are demanding that Big Tech companies stop hoarding people’s data abroad and start investing in local infrastructure. Rest of World unpacks how the push for national digital sovereignty is forcing tech companies to rethink their playbook. But with foreign firms still calling the shots in many places, we wonder whether this is just rebranding control. Read more via Rest of World

Can an “ethical” spyware maker justify providing its tech to ICE?

After Paragon Solutions cut ties with the Italian government over its Graphite spyware technology being used to spy on journalists and activists, the company is back in the headlines following reports that it signed a one year, two million USD contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — even as it claims to be an “ethical” spyware vendor. Speaking to TechCrunch, Access Now’s Michael De Dora points out that, “given [the current U.S.] administration’s record of attacks on human rights and civil society organizations, we hope that Paragon would reconsider the agreement.” Read more via TechCrunch

The EU announces a war budget

This week saw the European Commission announce its spending priorities for the next decade, with a threefold increase in resources allocated to managing migration across Europe’s borders. But as our #ProtectNotSurveil coalition partner, the Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice, points out, this budget will only reinforce the EU’s already punitive approach toward migrant people, and migrant solidarity groups, by prioritizing investment in and procurement of digital surveillance technologies. Read more via Equinox

Frontex unlawfully shared thousands of people’s personal data with Europol

A joint investigation by media outlets Solomon, Le Monde, El País, and Netzpolitik reveals how, under the guise of fighting people trafficking, EU border agency Frontex has spent years collecting personal data from thousands of migrant people, as well as the EU citizens who assist them — and has been unlawfully passing on this information to the EU’s law enforcement agency, Europol. The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has reprimanded Frontex, but as Solomon points out, the question remains over whether either agency has changed its practices to respect human rights, instead of expanding their powers to criminalize people seeking safety and intimidate those who speak out. Read more via Solomon

Dear readers, we're taking a short break from publishing Express for the remainder of July; but we'll be back in your inboxes from August. See you soon! 

LISTEN to “Defending digital and human rights in the AI age”

The latest episode of the Humanitarian AI Today podcast features none other than Access Now’s Giulio Coppi, who joins host Brent Phillips to discuss the importance of digital rights in situations of conflict and violence, and the ethical dilemmas that the humanitarian community faces when it comes to collecting data or using AI. Read more via Humanitarian AI Today

REPORT algorithmic discrimination!

Do you suspect that you’ve been the victim of algorithmic discrimination? AlgorithmWatch wants to hear from you, in order to better understand how algorithms are impacting people’s lives and to advocate for much-needed guardrails. Learn more about what constitutes algorithmic discrimination, or report your experience here. Read more via AlgorithmWatch

APPLY to Bread&Net 2025

The deadline to submit session proposals for Bread&Net has been extended to July 30. Hosted by SMEX, this annual gathering returns to Beirut, Lebanon, from October 29–31, offering a space to debate the opportunities and threats technology poses across West Asia and North Africa (WANA). Check out the submission guidelines and apply here. Read more via SMEX