Civic Tech Field Guide
Sharing knowledge and productively growing the fieldAdjacent Fields > Digital security and privacy - (256)
People will not (and should not) use tech that's untrustworthy. Too many tech projects, including civic tech projects, have abused user privacy and/or failed users in providing a secure user experience. Anyone advocating for increasing digitization of government, social benefits, or public conversation should invest in strong digital security and privacy-respecting approach from the onset and on an ongoing basis, as this area evolves rapidly.
Showing 256 Results
Enhance your privacy and break through firewalls.
NYU Tandon Cybersecurity for Democracy
New York University, New York, NY, USACybersecurity for Democracy is a research-based effort to expose online threats to our social fabric – and recommend how to counter them. We are part of the Center for Cybersecurity at NYU.
Protect personal spaces and possessions without compromising privacy
Defending Digital Campaigns makes our political process more secure by providing political parties and campaigns with knowledge, products and services to defend themselves from cyber threats and attacks.
Tor Browser for Android Experience real private browsing without tracking, surveillance, or censorship.
A privacy-focused web browser for use with Orbot, based on Tor Browser
Permission Slip
Yonkers, NY, USAOne app to take back control of your data
Digital Freedom Fund Grants
Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 104-108 1012 SG Amsterdam The NetherlandsThe Digital Freedom Fund supports strategic litigation on digital rights in Europe that contributes to advancing human rights in the digital context.
How The New York Times Thinks About Your Privacy
New York Times Building, 8th Avenue, New York, NY, USAA guide to the news company's data usage
AWO
EuropeWe’re a new agency working across the world to shape, apply and enforce data rights. We have lawyers, policy experts, technology analysts and applied ethicists working out of offices in London, Brussels and Paris.
Acción por la Justicia Algorítmica (AxJA)
Spain (España)La coalición Acción por la Justicia Algorítmica (AxJA) se crea para desafiar la falta de control democrático, transparencia y rendición de cuentas en el uso y adquisición de sistemas de toma de decisiones automatizadas e inteligencia artificial en España.
A short guide to help keep journalists and their sources safe
Keep yourself and your community safe with Círculo, an app easy to use that allows you to send check-ins and urgent alerts in a fast and private way.
We are a group of artists, engineers, activists, and technologists who have been behind the largest online protests in human history, channeling Internet outrage into political power to win public interest victories previously thought to be impossible
*privacy not included
Mountain View, CA, USAMozilla Foundation's annual naughty and nice list of consumer tech's privacy policies
Block Party app
United States of America (the)Consumer tools for online safety & anti-harassment. Automatically hide unwanted tweets & mute the trolls (review later, but only if you want!).
JAAKLAC initiative
Finland (Suomi)Reseaching and advocating for critical digital education and youth participation from Latin America and the Majority World
An international effort to empower individuals and business to respect privacy, safeguard data and enable trust.
The Glass Room
SoHo, Manhattan, New York, NY, USAa three week pop up program inducing over 30 commissioned artworks, and a jam packed program of guest speakers.
Red Team Lab at Open Tech Fund
2025 M Street Northwest, Downtown, Washington, DC 20036, USAThe lab focuses on improving the software security of projects that advance OTF’s Internet freedom goals by ensuring that code, data, and people behind the tools have what they need to create a safer experience for people experiencing repressive information controls online.
Totem is an online learning platform on using digital security tools and tactics effectively for journalists, activists, and trainers.
Outline
New York CityOutline makes it easy for news organizations to set up a virtual private network (VPN) on their own server.
Blacklight
New York CityA privacy tool that lets you scan any website and see how you are being surveilled
Mozilla Foundation
Mozilla, East Evelyn Avenue, Mountain View, CA, USAEstablished in 2003, guided by the Mozilla Manifesto, the Mozilla Foundation believes the Internet is a global public resource that must remain open and accessible to all.
CryptoHarlem
Harlem, Manhattan, New York, NY, USACryptoHarlem is a Digital Surveillance Clinic that has been meeting on a monthly basis since 2013 in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. It is always open to the public and completely free of charge.
Digital Integrity Fellowship
2025 M Street Northwest, Downtown, Washington, DC 20036, USAThe Digital Integrity Fellowship Program (DIFP) provides fixed monthly stipends to individuals capable of addressing short-term and long-term threats to freedom of expression online.
Mailfence
Rue Middelbourg, Watermael-Boitsfort, BelgiumSecure and private email service with collaboration suite.
EFF Guide to Messaging
Data Justice Lab
Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UKThe Data Justice Lab examines the intricate relationship between datafication and social justice, highlighting the politics and impacts of data-driven processes and big data
OKTHANKS
United States of America (the)Okthanks is an independent organization providing research and product design services for open source technology. We unite with a mission to leverage technology for social good.
Outline VPN offered in Zimbabwe
ZimbabweCITE in Zimbabwe and Code for Africa have partnered to make Outline from Jigsaw available to news organisations and CSOs. It means VPN can be rolled out on their own servers to connect to the internet and keep communication private and safe.
Secure Usability and Accessibility Lab at Open Tech Fund
2025 M Street Northwest, Downtown, Washington, DC 20036, USAOTF’s Secure Usability and Accessibility Lab offers secure usability and user-interface assistance to Internet freedom and digital security tools to help them recognise and solve usability challenges that hampered the adoption of those tools in repressive contexts.
Privacy International
62 Britton Street, London EC1M 5UY, UKWe’re here to protect democracy, defend people's dignity, and demand accountability from the powerful institutions who breach public trust.
Discotechs
Detroit, MIAt the Data DiscoTech young people learned about what data is, unique ways to create data visualizations, and how to collect and analyze data.
Secure messaging, anywhere
eclips.is is a free, lightweight platform where you can launch your (virtual) servers. It is funded by Open Technology Fund (OTF) to facilitate an easy accessible cloud infrastructure.
We support Human Rights Defenders facing digital threats and work to strengthen local rapid response networks.
Who Targets Me
LondonDid Facebook ads win the presidency for Donald Trump? Did they cause Brexit? Are they changing the way democracy works? Install Who Targets Me to find out who’s using Facebook ads to win your vote – and how they’re doing it.
Netfreedom Pioneers
CaliforniaWe are a technology nonprofit developing innovative anti-censorship tools and sending life-changing information anywhere the Internet doesn’t reach.
HuriDocs
Geneva, SwitzerlandHuman rights defenders need evidence, law and research to advocate justice and accountability. We develop tools and strategies that make this information accessible.
Berkeley Institute for Free Speech Online
Berkeley, California, USAWe provide software that ensures free speech online
Intra
New York CityIntra is an Android app that protects against DNS manipulation, making it easy to access blocked websites and apps and get safer access to the internet.
PersonalData.IO
Impact Hub Geneva, Rue Fendt, Geneva, SwitzerlandA collaborative tool to display data records on a map. Your data, Your control, Your options
Get email updates
Helpful Links
Reach Out
A project of
With support from
National Endowment for Democracy
Founding Organization
Civic Hall
Technology partner
Civic Tech Field Guide