Access Now

Rights groups and tech activists have called for a halt to the use of AI technology in the military, citing Israel's actions in Gaza as a dangerous precedent. They argue that AI systems like Lavender, Gospel, and Where’s Daddy, used by the Israeli army for targeting in Gaza, have contributed to high civilian casualties due to minimal human oversight.

Rights groups and tech activists have called for a halt to AI use in military operations, citing Israel's use of AI systems like Lavender, Gospel, and Where’s Daddy in Gaza as a dangerous precedent. The statement warns that AI-driven targeting in warfare risks civilian casualties and obscures accountability, with tech companies such as Open AI, Google, and Microsoft providing AI and infrastructure support to militaries.

Zambia's government canceled the RightsCon 2026 conference, which was to be hosted in sub-Saharan Africa for the first time, citing administrative and security concerns. Access Now, the host organization, suggested the cancellation was due to foreign interference, particularly from China, and demands to moderate human rights topics. The decision reflects a broader decline toward authoritarianism in Zambia, despite U.S. support for its democratic reforms under President Hakainde Hichilema.

RightsCon 2026, the world's largest digital human rights conference, was cancelled in Zambia days before it was scheduled to begin, allegedly due to Chinese pressure on the Zambian government. Access Now, the organizing group, was told to moderate specific topics and exclude Taiwanese participants, conditions they deemed unacceptable and contrary to their mission. The cancellation highlights concerns about transnational repression and shrinking spaces for civil society activism in the Global South.

The Chinese government's pressure led to the cancellation of RightsCon, the world's largest digital rights conference, after Zambian officials demanded the exclusion of Taiwanese participants. Access Now, the organizing group, refused to comply with the request.

A hack-for-hire campaign, suspected to be linked to the Indian government, targeted journalists, activists, and officials in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Prominent Egyptian journalist Mostafa and government critics were among the victims, according to research by Access Now, Lookout, and SMEX.