Access Now
Platform-enabled censorship, content moderation in high-risk contexts (conflict, authoritarianism); internet shutdowns and throttling; surveillance and digital security threats facilitated or enabled by platforms; digital rights in Global South and at-risk communities.
- Type
- International Nonprofit Digital Rights Org
- Based in
- HQ: New York, NY (US); Presences: Brussels, Berlin, Tunis, Delhi, Nairobi, Manila, San José (Costa Rica)
- Focus region
- Truly global, with deep expertise in Global South, MENA, Asia, Africa, LAC
Notable projects
#KeepItOn campaign and reports on shutdowns; research and advocacy on platform content policies in MENA, Asia, Africa, Latin America; RightsCon global convening; emergency response and documentation of platform harms to activists/journalists.
Grassroots-to-global model with strong regional centers. Combines rapid response, technical support, advocacy, and research. Key convenor (RightsCon). Amplifies voices from regions often overlooked in platform policy debates centered on US/EU.
- Investigations
- 6
- Platforms tracked
- 5
- Active since
- 2024
- Latest report
- Mar 2026
Topics covered
- Platform Compliance & Governance4
- Content Moderation2
- Ad Transparency & Fraud1
- Election Integrity1
- Gender-Based Violence & Harassment1
- Hate Speech & Extremism1
- Misinformation & Disinformation1
Watchdog vs. platform
Publicly documented legal proceedings, access disputes, or other platform pushback. Allegations, findings, and outcomes are labelled separately and linked to their sources.
No sourced legal or practical dispute has been documented for Access Now yet. Know of one?
Add a sourced caseResearchers
Current
- Felicia Anthonio3
- Zach Rosson3
- Carolyn Tackett2
- Aymen ZaghdoudiMENA Senior Policy Counsel1
- Eliška PírkováSenior Policy Analyst1
- Jaimee Kokonya1
- Marwa Fatafta1
Reports
Full database2026
1 report2025
2 reports- Dec 2025X/TwitterMetaYouTubeGoogleCross-platform
War profiteers: online ads and the machinery of propaganda for war
Examines how governments deploy war propaganda through online advertising and argues platforms bear responsibility under international human rights law to prevent monetizing it.
Ad Transparency & FraudMisinformation & Disinformation - Feb 2025Cross-platform
Emboldened: Internet shutdowns in 2024
Documented 296 shutdowns, the highest since 2016, including social-media-specific blocking during conflicts and elections.
Platform Compliance & Governance
2024
3 reports- Dec 2024TikTokX/TwitterMetaYouTubeCross-platform
Rainbow-burning: how social media companies increase risks for LGBTQ+ people in Africa
Documented 214 threatening anti-LGBTQ+ posts across the platforms in five African countries; only 51 were removed when reported, blaming under-resourced moderation for African languages and engagement-driven algorithms.
Gender-Based Violence & HarassmentHate Speech & ExtremismContent ModerationArt. 16/20 — Notice-and-action - May 2024TikTokX/TwitterMetaCross-platform
Shrinking democracy, growing violence: Internet shutdowns in 2023
Annual #KeepItOn documentation of shutdowns and platform blocking worldwide in 2023, tying disruptions to elections, protests and conflict.
Platform Compliance & GovernanceElection Integrity - Feb 2024Meta
It's not a glitch: how Meta systematically censors Palestinian voices
Documents systematic censorship of Palestinian and pro-Palestinian content since October 7, 2023, driven by Meta's vague 'Dangerous Organizations' policy and discriminatory enforcement (e.g., lowering the hide-threshold to 25%).
Content ModerationPlatform Compliance & Governance