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Peter Micek, Esq.

General Counsel

Peter Micek is General Counsel and UN Policy Manager at Access Now, based in New York City. Peter Micek leads the Legal arm, managing risk to global programming and operations, closely with the organization’s Digital Security Helpline, Grants, and RightsCon teams. The Legal arm engages in strategic litigation and bolsters legal support for civic space online and civil society actors globally. As UN Policy Manager, Peter advances international norms and law on digital rights, including on privacy and spyware, censorship and internet shutdowns, and digital identity programs. Peter is also Lecturer at the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) on internet governance and public policy in the digital age, and sits on the Advisory Board of the Univ. of Oklahoma College of Law’s Center for International Business and Human Rights, and formerly the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Future of Cybersecurity. A lawyer by training, Peter completed a JD cum laude at the University of San Francisco School of Law, and in 2010 published “A Genealogy of Home Visits,” critiquing surveillance of at-risk communities. As a law student, Peter defended independent journalists and engaged in Freedom of Information litigation at First Amendment Project. Peter studied political science and journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. He is licensed by the state bars of California and New York, and has no cats.

Five years later: the internet shutdown that rocked Egypt

22 Jan 2016

Five years ago, activists in Egypt carried out protests that inspired the world. The government responded by shutting off the internet. Today, in Egypt and across the globe, internet shutdowns continue — and they must be stopped.

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Five years later: the internet shutdown that rocked Egypt
22 Jan 2016
Five years later: the internet shutdown that rocked Egypt

Etisalat shuts off internet services in Egypt and Morocco

6 Jan 2016

Telcos have shut down some internet services in Morocco and Egypt, creating anti-competitive network discrimination and damaging free expression in the region.

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Etisalat shuts off internet services in Egypt and Morocco
6 Jan 2016
Etisalat shuts off internet services in Egypt and Morocco
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Politwoops is coming back! Inside Twitter’s transparency reboot

4 Jan 2016

This New Year’s Eve, we reached an agreement with Twitter and our partners to bring back the transparency and accountability tool called Politwoops.

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Politwoops is coming back! Inside Twitter’s transparency reboot
4 Jan 2016
Politwoops is coming back! Inside Twitter’s transparency reboot

After Brazil shutdown, WhatsApp deserves support, not blame

21 Dec 2015

A judge in Brazil ordered a WhatsApp shutdown, and Telefónica lashed out…at WhatsApp. Our open letter to Telefónica explains that telcos should push back on shutdown requests, not shame companies.

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After Brazil shutdown, WhatsApp deserves support, not blame
21 Dec 2015
After Brazil shutdown, WhatsApp deserves support, not blame

Human rights central to new WSIS agreement at U.N.

14 Dec 2015

Our take on the new WSIS agreement and how it addresses human rights, openness, digital security, and Net Neutrality.

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Human rights central to new WSIS agreement at U.N.
14 Dec 2015
Human rights central to new WSIS agreement at U.N.

Turkey’s YouTube ban violated human rights

2 Dec 2015

Europe’s highest human rights court ruled that Turkey violated internet users’ right to freedom of expression when it banned YouTube between 2008 and 2010.

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Turkey’s YouTube ban violated human rights
2 Dec 2015
Turkey’s YouTube ban violated human rights
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Coalition urges Turkey to cease online censorship on eve of elections

29 Oct 2015

Today a coalition of Turkish and international media, human rights organizations, and political groups have published an Open Letter to the Turkish Government demanding that it protect Turkish people’s right to freedom of expression during the elections. The letter underscores the fact that social media and independent media websites help to ensure access to information in Turkey, and asks the government to pledge not to block access to the internet or to specific online services.

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Coalition urges Turkey to cease online censorship on eve of elections
29 Oct 2015
Coalition urges Turkey to cease online censorship on eve of elections

Twitter CEO Responds to Pressure from Rights Groups

21 Oct 2015

San Francisco – Today Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey pledged his company’s support for free expression, accountability, and transparency. His statement — including an explicit mention of Politwoops, the politician accountability tool — is a clear response to grassroots pressure, including an open letter signed by 50 global groups in support of Politwoops.

Press Release
Twitter CEO Responds to Pressure from Rights Groups
21 Oct 2015
Twitter CEO Responds to Pressure from Rights Groups
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Beyond connectivity: building an inclusive U.N. agenda for internet development

20 Oct 2015

On Monday, October 19th, stakeholders in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) process gathered in New York for an interactive summit that represents one of the last few chances for civil society to discuss the WSIS findings and help shape the future of the initiative. Access Now joined a diverse coalition of groups to submit a unified revision of the “zero draft” — the draft of language that will become the resolution for adoption by the U.N. General Assembly in December.

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Beyond connectivity: building an inclusive U.N. agenda for internet development
20 Oct 2015
Beyond connectivity: building an inclusive U.N. agenda for internet development

Zombie cookies rise again as telcos respond to our report on tracking headers

9 Oct 2015

Even George A. Romero, visionary creator of zombie movies, would scarcely believe this script. After public outcry, policy turnarounds, and regulatory scrutiny, tracking headers live on in Verizon’s networks. The company just announced a new program combining AOL’s online advertising and tracking capabilities with Verizon’s UIDH mobile tracking headers, to track users across the fixed and mobile web. We have fought to expose the use of mobile tracking headers, and made some progress in holding companies to account. The nonprofit Business and Human Rights Resource Centre invited formal responses from the companies named in our report. Let’s go through the responses, one by one.

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Zombie cookies rise again as telcos respond to our report on tracking headers
9 Oct 2015
Zombie cookies rise again as telcos respond to our report on tracking headers