“This isn’t freedom”: anger, anxiety, and tears as Iran’s internet flickers back

Earlier this week, after almost 90 days in the dark, authorities in Iran reportedly began restoring partial internet access across the country. At the time of writing, however, internet traffic remains below 50%, with many Iranians expressing fears that the regime has reconnected people in order to more easily surveil them. Access Now continues to stand with the people of Iran, and we urge authorities to restore full access and refrain from imposing further disruptions. Read more via The Guardian

Dig deeper

REGISTER: “Digital warfare: from the ground up”

The digital component of modern warfare is undeniable – and civilians bear the impact. On June 4, join Access Now’s Marwa Fatafta, as well as experts from UC Berkeley’s Human Rights Center and 7amleh, for a virtual panel discussion on how to protect civilians affected by digital warfare, originally scheduled to take place at RightsCon 2026 in Zambia. Learn more and register. Read more via UC Berkeley

Spotlight on the Americas

My privacy is my vote: strengthening information integrity in Latin America (Spanish)

AI-based microtargeting tools risk multiplying the damaging impact of disinformation on electoral integrity and democratic processes. In Latin America, where voters in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru will soon head to the polls, the risk is further compounded by the mass collection and processing of people’s data used to personalize the election-related content they see. Read our Spanish-language recommendations on how to strengthen the region’s data protection frameworks and better safeguard information integrity before, during, and after elections. Read more via Access Now

READ: “Tackling arbitrary digital surveillance in the Americas”

A newly published guide from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) underlines how, across the Americas, “poor accountability, feeble control mechanisms, and insufficient legal frameworks have led to systematic human rights violations with no consistent remedy or reparation to victims.” Check it out in either English or Spanish for concrete guidance on how regional governments can curb surveillance abuse. Read more via EFF

Surveillance for sale

Inside Italy’s low-cost spyware economy

The proliferation of high-end commercial spyware products, including NSO Group’s Pegasus and Paragon Solutions’ Graphite, has made headlines time and time again — but what about low-cost spyware vendors? New analysis from civil society partner and EDRi member Osservatorio Nessuno examines the emergence of dozens of small Italian surveillance companies developing Trojan-based interceptions that can be deployed quickly and cheaply via social engineering tactics. Read more via EDRi

European Union: surveillance technology sold to rights violators

A recent report from Human Rights Watch (HRW) highlights the EU’s inability to stop member states from selling spyware to governments that use it to silence dissent and violate human rights — despite rules to prevent this from happening. Their analysis shows that the EU’s landmark Dual-Use Regulation targeting exports is not being implemented effectively. Read more via HRW

The AIs have it

How AI is powering transnational repression

With civic space increasingly under pressure, experts from the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL) examine how authoritarian regimes are turning to AI to ramp up their effort to intimidate and silence critics around the world, “accelerating and exacerbating longstanding forms of repression” in the process. Via Tech Policy Press

Opportunities and other highlights

APPLY: Grants for cross-border research on the impact of AI

Free Press Unlimited is inviting applications for cross-border collaborative investigations exploring the impact of AI on society, including on topics related to AI and human rights. Up to four grants of EUR 5,000 will be awarded to collaborative teams of journalists and media organizations working across borders. Apply by July 22, 2026. Read More via Free Press Unlimited

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