Tag: US

Today Access, in coordination with a broad-based group of civil society organizations and individuals, sent a letter to the US Congress representing the international response to the massive NSA surveillance program. Amidst the often US-centric response to this scandal, the letter presents an important reminder that these programs not only affect, but specifically target, non-US citizens in a gross breach of the United States’ responsibilities under international human rights law.

Details of the recently revealed large-scale, secret United States surveillance programs, the collection of Verizon users’ metadata and PRISM, are still emerging. However, from the information available, it is clear that while the programs rest on dubious legal ground under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), they are both unconstitutional.

Access is currently working with a coalition of US and international human rights organizations to demand that the US Congress investigate and halt the NSA’s pervasive surveillance program PRISM, which threatens the privacy rights of millions of internet users. Until this rights-abusing surveillance system is dismantled, there are some basic ways that you can protect the content of your internet communications from surveillance.

Access, along with a coalition of more than 80 organizations and internet companies, released a letter and online petition demanding that Congress halt and investigate the US National Security Agency’s mobile phone surveillance and PRISM programs. During the press call held that day by lead organizers, coalition representatives stated that they would continue outreach to internet users and youth, while increasing outreach to both government officials and corporations.

Access has received new information about the unprecedented level of US lobbying against the EU Data Protection Regulation in response to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests filed on both sides of the Atlantic.

Access has received new information about the unprecedented level of US lobbying against the EU Data Protection Regulation in response to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests filed on both sides of the Atlantic.

On Tuesday, Access and more than 80 organizations and internet companies sent a letter to Congress demanding an immediate halt to and investigation of the U.S. National Security Agency’s surveillance programs. Other signatories include the American Civil Liberties Union, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Mozilla, and reddit.

A broad civil society coalition of more than 90 civil society organizations and individuals issued a joint statement at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) today calling for the protection of human rights in the digital age in the wake of the recently revealed PRISM and US National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance program. The statement, which was delivered at the 23rd session of the HRC, by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and Reporters without Borders, in particular highlighted the need to protect the rights of whistleblowers and to prevent the establishment of a global internet surveillance system.

Yesterday the US government announced a new round of sanctions relief for Iranian citizens, providing users with easier access to the internet and a wide range of personal communications technologies. With the road to export without the need for specific licenses explicitly cleared, now is the time for these companies to make their products and services available to Iranian users.