Taking stock of Big Tech: the 2025 RDR Index

With great power comes great responsibility. The 2025 Ranking Digital Rights (RDR) Index grades 14 of the world’s most powerful tech giants on corporate governance, freedom of expression, and privacy. At a time of increasing authoritarianism and attacks on human rights around the world, no company scored above 50. We’re following up on the rankings to push them all to do better — on transparency, accountability, and human rights due diligence. Here’s what we’ve learned so far, including how Meta and Microsoft responded. Read more via Access Now

Dig deeper

Ten years of tracking transparency: the Transparency Reporting Index

We’ve spent the last decade working to hold Big Tech accountable, and earlier this year we launched our newly revamped Transparency Reporting Index (TRI), a tool to help researchers and human rights advocates find transparency reports and see whether companies are following up to their commitments and enforcing their own policies. If you missed it, you can explore it here. Read more via Access Now

Spyware, deplatformed

NSO permanently barred from targeting WhatsApp users with Pegasus spyware

In a major victory for spyware victims, a U.S. federal judge has permanently barred NSO Group, maker of the infamous Pegasus spyware, from targeting WhatsApp users, attempting to infect their devices, or intercepting WhatsApp messages. The ruling “may essentially kill Pegasus spyware as we know it,” says Access Now’s Natalia Krapiva, pointing out that NSO can no longer claim to offer clients “unlimited” access to victims’ devices. This follows the landmark ruling finding that NSO violated U.S. federal and California law when it used WhatsApp’s infrastructure to deliver spyware to 1,400 WhatsApp users, including 100 civil society victims. Read more via Ars Technica

ICYMI: The U.S. has reactivated its Paragon contract — and it should alarm everyone

As we shared last week, we fear that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could be using, or planning to use, Paragon Solutions’ flagship spyware, Graphite, to surveil people in the U.S. Among our calls to action: we hope to see more companies whose infrastructure is targeted for spyware attacks fight back in court. Read more via Access Now

Watching the watchers

Meta removes Facebook group that shared information on ICE agents

Even as ICE expands its use of digital surveillance technology to target migrant communities, tech companies are bowing to government pressure to remove apps that let people track the location of ICE agents. After Apple removed ICEBlock and similar apps, and Google likewise removed ICE-spotting apps, Meta this week removed a Facebook page that shared information on ICE agents. Read more via The New York Times

Surveillance secrets exposed

A new investigative collaboration between Lighthouse Reports, Paper Trail Media, and 14 media organizations has uncovered the vast reach of First Wap, a little-known cyber-surveillance firm that has spent two decades selling phone- tracking technologies to regimes worldwide. According to the investigation, First Wap’s technology allows clients to geolocate devices and intercept calls and SMS messages. The victims have included journalists, lawyers, diplomats, activists, and even a woman whose stalker used the tool to track her every movement. Read more via Lighthouse Reports

Keep our communities safe

Torture, blackmail, extortion: the dangers of queer online dating in Ghana

In many countries worldwide, LGBTQ+ people face increasing threats online. The Guardian examines the risks of online dating for LGBTQ+ people in Ghana, where LGBTQ+ expression and identity itself is criminalized. Check out our 2024 research for detailed information on the threats people face in Ghana and other African countries, and what social media platforms can do to keep them safe. Read more via The Guardian

Digital safety guide for LGBTQ+ activists in Africa

Are you working to defend LGBTQ+ rights in Africa? Do you face digital surveillance and repression? If so, this tailored digital safety guide from our Digital Security Helpline has tips and strategies that may be relevant to you. Read more via Access Now

Opportunities and other highlights

Find us at Bread&Net 2025!

Are you headed to Bread&Net 2025 in Beirut, Lebanon, next week? Join Access Now’s MENA team and other colleagues for sessions on how tech companies enable censorship; how media and cybercrimes laws stifle freedom of expression; and what happens when internet shutdowns are deployed as weapons of war and repression, among other offerings. Once you register, you can check out the full program here. Read more via Bread&Net

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