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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.

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International Rights Organizations Call for UN to Appoint Expert on Right to Privacy

2 Mar 2015

Access joined 62 other non-governmental organizations in calling for the UN Human Rights Council to appoint a new, independent expert on the right to privacy on Monday. The letter recommends a mandate of exploring the scope and content of the right to privacy and also that the expert should provide guidance to ensure that states, companies, and implement and enforce the right.

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International Rights Organizations Call for UN to Appoint Expert on Right to Privacy
2 Mar 2015
International Rights Organizations Call for UN to Appoint Expert on Right to Privacy
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Access submits evidence to International Criminal Court on net shutdown in Central African Republic

17 Feb 2015

Access has submitted evidence to the International Criminal Court about the SMS shutdown in the Central African Republic during June and July 2014. The submission supports the latest ICC investigation into crimes against humanity in CAR, the Court’s second probe into the “endless” list of atrocities perpetrated there.

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Access submits evidence to International Criminal Court on net shutdown in Central African Republic
17 Feb 2015
Access submits evidence to International Criminal Court on net shutdown in Central African Republic
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Access joins letter citing impact of sanctions in Crimea on free expression and digital security

12 Feb 2015

Access joined EFF, Global Voices Advocacy, New America’s Open Technology Institute, and Ferrari & Associates, P.C. in a letter calling for the OFAC—the agency charged with enforcing the sanctions—to issue a general license that would protect internet users.

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Access joins letter citing impact of sanctions in Crimea on free expression and digital security
12 Feb 2015
Access joins letter citing impact of sanctions in Crimea on free expression and digital security
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Violating International Law, DRC Orders Telcos to Cease Communications Services

23 Jan 2015

This week, the Democratic Republic of the Congo ordered a full shutdown of internet and SMS traffic in response to protests against the government. The shutdown is just the latest example of telcos complying with government censorship orders, albeit reluctantly.

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Violating International Law, DRC Orders Telcos to Cease Communications Services
23 Jan 2015
Violating International Law, DRC Orders Telcos to Cease Communications Services
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New UN resolution shifts momentum on privacy to Human Rights Council

26 Nov 2014

For the second straight year, the United Nations has declared that government communications surveillance poses a threat to the right to privacy.

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New UN resolution shifts momentum on privacy to Human Rights Council
26 Nov 2014
New UN resolution shifts momentum on privacy to Human Rights Council
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Stakeholder engagement: Access’ comments to BSR paper

7 Nov 2014

In September 2014, Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) released a working paper on best practices for stakeholder engagement in human rights due diligence. This paper, focusing on challenges faced by ICT companies when trying to engage with rights holders, was jointly produced with the Center for Democracy and Technology and commissioned by Microsoft’s Technology and Human Rights Center.

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Stakeholder engagement: Access’ comments to BSR paper
7 Nov 2014
Stakeholder engagement: Access’ comments to BSR paper

South Korean IM app takes bold stand against police abuses

16 Oct 2014

Access commends KakaoTalk for recognizing the need for extreme measures in the face of overbearing and arbitrary government surveillance.

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South Korean IM app takes bold stand against police abuses
16 Oct 2014
South Korean IM app takes bold stand against police abuses

Access contributes to independent review of UK surveillance abuses

15 Oct 2014

The UK has failed to protect its citizens’ fundamental rights to privacy and secure communications.

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Access contributes to independent review of UK surveillance abuses
15 Oct 2014
Access contributes to independent review of UK surveillance abuses

Twitter Is Suing the Feds—Why Aren’t Google and Facebook?

9 Oct 2014
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Twitter Is Suing the Feds—Why Aren’t Google and Facebook?
9 Oct 2014
Twitter Is Suing the Feds—Why Aren’t Google and Facebook?
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U.S. agrees to develop NAP on business & human rights

30 Sep 2014

The Obama Administration announced on Wednesday, Sept. 24 that it would review and account for the human rights impacts of U.S. businesses.

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U.S. agrees to develop NAP on business & human rights
30 Sep 2014
U.S. agrees to develop NAP on business & human rights