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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.

The what, why, and who of transparency reporting

2 Apr 2020

Transparency reports are essential tools for companies to communicate their commitment to human rights.

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The what, why, and who of transparency reporting
2 Apr 2020
The what, why, and who of transparency reporting

Access Now joins 100+ organisations in telling governments: don’t use the coronavirus pandemic as cover for expanding digital surveillance

2 Apr 2020

We must ensure that the measures governments are taking right now do not transform this health crisis into a global human rights crisis.

Press Release
Access Now joins 100+ organisations in telling governments: don’t use the coronavirus pandemic as cover for expanding digital surveillance
2 Apr 2020
Access Now joins 100+ organisations in telling governments: don’t use the coronavirus pandemic as cover for expanding digital surveillance

Access Now urges transparency from Zoom on privacy and security

19 Mar 2020

As the world moves to working online to protect the health and safety of our communities, companies such as Zoom have become our new workplaces. Are they secure?

Press Release
Access Now urges transparency from Zoom on privacy and security
19 Mar 2020
Access Now urges transparency from Zoom on privacy and security

Now is not the time to destabilize .ORG, putting civil society and healthcare providers at risk

17 Mar 2020

Right now, while our communities are focused on staying safe, PIR so far is still holding ICANN to the current March 20 deadline to decide whether it will consent to the transition of control of the .ORG registry. Given what is at stake, PIR should immediately extend the deadline.

Press Release
Now is not the time to destabilize .ORG, putting civil society and healthcare providers at risk
17 Mar 2020
Now is not the time to destabilize .ORG, putting civil society and healthcare providers at risk

Protect digital rights, promote public health: toward a better coronavirus response

6 Mar 2020

By attending to key digital rights issues, those at the front lines of the COVID-19 humanitarian response can better understand the risks and make the right decisions.

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Protect digital rights, promote public health: toward a better coronavirus response
6 Mar 2020
Protect digital rights, promote public health: toward a better coronavirus response
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As states discuss global cybersecurity at U.N., we must act to protect users

13 Feb 2020

At a meeting of the United Nations OEWG on global cybersecurity, we advocated for approaches to put users at the center of cybersecurity policy and safeguard human rights.

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As states discuss global cybersecurity at U.N., we must act to protect users
13 Feb 2020
As states discuss global cybersecurity at U.N., we must act to protect users
Digital rights

Digital rights are vital for sustainable development

6 Feb 2020

Access Now joined 15 other organizations to review the outcomes of UNGA74, including the critical importance of civil society engagement.

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Digital rights are vital for sustainable development
6 Feb 2020
Digital rights are vital for sustainable development
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Civil society’s online home — .ORG — is for sale

5 Dec 2019

This dubious deal was struck without consulting civil society groups that rely on .ORG to operate, without accounting for its impact on human rights, and without proper safeguards for the long-term health of online civic space. Join more than 130 organizations and thousands of concerned individuals in signing this petition to stop the sale of .ORG.

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Civil society’s online home — .ORG — is for sale
5 Dec 2019
Civil society’s online home — .ORG — is for sale

Civil society once again targeted by spyware attributed to NSO Group

29 Oct 2019

Of 1,400 victims of targeted attacks through WhatsApp, more than 100 were members of civil society.

Press Release
Civil society once again targeted by spyware attributed to NSO Group
29 Oct 2019
Civil society once again targeted by spyware attributed to NSO Group
United Nations Human Rights Concil

United Nations: protect rights in welfare systems’ tech overhaul

17 Oct 2019

Governments should pay attention to the call of the United Nations’ leading expert on poverty to fully integrate human rights protections into their efforts to digitize and automate welfare benefits and services.

Press Release
United Nations: protect rights in welfare systems’ tech overhaul
17 Oct 2019
United Nations: protect rights in welfare systems’ tech overhaul