Access Now
International digital-rights organisation; runs the Digital Security Helpline and the RightsCon summit
| Access Now
| |
|---|---|
| Logo |  Access Now logo. Copyright: Access Now, CC BY 4.0 |
| Type | Digital rights organisation |
| Founded | 2009[1] |
| Founder(s) | Brett Solomon (co-founder; executive director 2009–2024)[1] |
| Location | Registered offices in Belgium, Costa Rica and the United States[1] |
| Services | Digital Security Helpline; RightsCon; grants; advocacy[1] |
| Key people | Alejandro Mayoral Baños and Arzu Geybulla (co-executive directors)[1] |
| Website | accessnow.org |
Access Now is an international digital-rights organisation. Its website says it was formed in 2009, in the aftermath of the Iranian election, as an emergency response team of technologists, and that it now runs a 24/7 Digital Security Helpline (public since 2013), the RightsCon summit series (launched in 2011), a grants programme (launched in 2015) and advocacy and policy work.[1]
Organisation and funding
Access Now says it has more than 130 team members across five continents and registered offices in Belgium, Costa Rica and the United States. Brett Solomon co-founded the organisation and served as executive director from 2009 to 2024; the current co-executive directors listed on its website are Alejandro Mayoral Baños and Arzu Geybulla.[1] The organisation states that its supporters include “foundations, development agencies, companies, individuals, and civil society organizations”, and that it publishes the support it receives and its audited financial statements.[1]
UK Foreign Office payments
The UK Foreign Office's published spending over £25,000 lists a supplier named “ACCESS NOW”, recorded as programme spend, in the following months.
| Payment date | Transaction number | Amount (£) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 December 2016 | 8725459 | 62,944.60 | [2] |
| 20 September 2017 | 9271421 | 29,007.90 | [3] |
| 19 March 2020 | 10709590 | 25,974.96 | [4] |
See also
- Citizen Lab
- Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
- FCO Programme spending 2016
- FCO Programme spending 2017
- FCO Programme spending 2020
- FCDO Programme spending 2021
- FCDO Programme spending 2022
- Pegasus (spyware)
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Access Now, About Us, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ Foreign Office, Foreign Office spend over £25,000 for December 2016 (CSV), GOV.UK, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ Foreign Office, Foreign Office spend over £25,000 for September 2017 (CSV), GOV.UK, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ Foreign Office, FCO’s spending over £25,000 for March 2020 (CSV), GOV.UK, accessed 11 November 2026.