New Civic DEFENDERS Program Launched to Counter Digital Repression

Media Contact: Massimiliano Colonna, Director of Communications, Internews, [email protected].

This month, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) launched Civic DEFENDERS, a five-year global program to empower local civil society, independent media, and human rights defenders to prevent, mitigate, and respond to digital repression. This initiative is led by a consortium of global leaders in Internet freedom, led by Internews.

While the Internet can be a critical tool to advance human rights, it is also being weaponized by anti-democratic actors. Authoritarian governments use advanced surveillance, restrictive laws, and regulatory controls to censor and criminalize human rights activists, journalists, and civic movements. Marginalized groups, particularly women, LGBTQI+ individuals, and ethnic minorities, increasingly experience digital repression, including harassment, doxing, and tech-enabled gender-based violence. New technologies like AI and biometric recognition are being deployed to restrict civic spaces, posing a dynamic challenge for those defending democratic freedoms.

Civic DEFENDERS is intended to counter digital repression and build long-term resilience within civil society through global, regional, and local collaboration, with special attention to the needs of women and other marginalized groups.

Civic DEFENDERS will:

  • bolster the resources and capabilities of civil society to address existing and emerging digital threats.
  • strengthen locally driven advocacy that responds to and prevents digital repression.
  • promote anti-censorship tools and engage with communities to pinpoint knowledge or usage gaps, especially among women and marginalized groups.
  • equip local experts and organizations to provide comprehensive support to civil society organizations, independent media, and human rights defenders facing threats.

“Civic DEFENDERS is a unique opportunity to provide sustained and flexible support to organizations and individuals most vulnerable to digital authoritarianism, but also best placed to create effective, locally relevant solutions. I look forward to supporting our network of local, regional and international partners as they protect and promote a free, open, and secure Internet for all.” – Jeanne Bourgault, President and CEO of Internews

“Through Civic DEFENDERS, ARTICLE 19 will support civil society organizations to effectively and sustainably break down barriers to participation within Internet standards developing organizations, a crucial space in which civil society organizations can pro-actively prevent potential human rights harms from being embedded within technologies before they are deployed in the real world.” – Don Le, Digital Programme Coordination Officer at ARTICLE 19

“In Latin America, abuses and institutional instability restrict civic space and harm human rights online and offline. As technology becomes vital for activists, journalists, and marginalized groups, these challenges grow. Documenting, reporting, and empowering remain key to building digital resilience. While there has been progress, challenges like surveillance and violence persist, and much remains to be done.” –  Paula Jaramillo, Projects and Legal Affairs Coordinator, Derechos Digitales

The members of the Internews-led consortium supporting Civic DEFENDERS include The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), Public Fund Civil Internet Policy Initiative (CIPI), Co-Creation Hub, Derechos Digitales, Digital Security Lab Ukraine (DSLU), EngageMedia, Paradigm Initiative (PIN), SHARE Foundation, SMEX, and INGOs, like ARTICLE 19, DevTech, Global Network Initiative (GNI), The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL), Open Briefing, and Ranking Digital Rights (RDR).

About Internews  

Internews is a nonprofit that supports independent media in 100 countries. Internews trains journalists and digital rights practitioners, tackles disinformation, and offers business expertise to help media outlets thrive financially. For 40 years, it has helped partners reach millions of people with trustworthy information that saves lives, improves livelihoods, and holds institutions accountable.  

Find out more at internews.org