Last updated: July 6, 2026
Authoritarian movements are built on fear and isolation. They want you to believe you’re alone. You are not alone — but you do need to protect yourself.
Information for Activists
If you are frustrated by the current situation and would like to be part of the resistance, there are things you can do to contribute. Here are some places to start.
50501 Movement
Focus: Coordinated, nonviolent civic resistance
Why it matters: Organizing playbooks, messaging strategy, and guidance for collective pressure against authoritarian power.
Link: https://www.fiftyfifty.one/
Indivisible
Focus: Local organizing and pressure campaigns
Why it matters: Tools and tactics for holding elected officials accountable, creating local groups, and making noise where it hurts (their offices, their donors, their reputation).
Link: https://indivisible.org/
Mobilize
Focus: Show up in person
Why it matters: Volunteer and event hub. Find rallies, canvassing, rapid response gatherings, and legal observing efforts near you.
Link: https://mobilize.us
Democracy Docket
Focus: Voting rights, election sabotage, court battles
Why it matters: Tracks lawsuits, voter suppression tactics, gerrymandering schemes, and legal efforts to rig outcomes. If you want to understand how the game is being tilted in real time, start here.
Link: https://www.democracydocket.com/
Election Protection (866-OUR-VOTE)
Focus: Real-time, nonpartisan help with voting problems
Why it matters: A coalition of 300+ organizations, led by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, staffing free hotlines year-round for registration issues, absentee/early voting questions, and problems at the polls. Call or text 866-687-8683. Also available in Spanish (888-VE-Y-VOTA / 888-839-8682), Asian languages (888-API-VOTE / 888-274-8683), Arabic (844-YALLA-US / 844-925-5287), and ASL video (301-818-8683).
Link: https://866ourvote.org/
Legal / Rights Education
Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD)
Focus: Education programs to build resilience to hate, extremism, and disinformation.
Link: https://www.isdglobal.org/action-training/education/
Council of Europe – Propaganda, Misinformation & Fake News
Focus: Legal and civic education on recognizing and countering disinformation.
Link: https://www.coe.int/en/web/campaign-free-to-speak-safe-to-learn/dealing-with-propaganda-misinformation-and-fake-news
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
Focus: U.S. government guidance on cybersecurity best practices and privacy protection.
Note: CISA’s materials are technically useful, but the site is government-operated. Activists or journalists working on sensitive issues should access it only from a trusted network or use Tor/VPN if they prefer not to share metadata with U.S. government servers.
Link: https://www.cisa.gov/topics/cybersecurity-best-practices
Immigration & ICE Encounters
ACLU – Know Your Rights: Immigrants’ Rights
Focus: What to do if approached by ICE or law enforcement, regardless of immigration status.
Why it matters: Includes a printable “red card” asserting your constitutional rights — available in 56 languages and distributed more than 10 million times — plus phone lock-screen graphics so you can show your rights without unlocking your device. Covers encounters at home, at work, in public, and at the airport.
Link: https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/immigrants-rights
CLINIC – Nationwide Rapid Response Hotline Directory
Focus: State-by-state directory of deportation-defense rapid response hotlines.
Why it matters: If ICE activity is reported in your area, these hotlines connect you to trained volunteers who can document what’s happening, support affected families, and in some cases dispatch legal observers. Find the number for your state before you need it.
Link: https://www.cliniclegal.org/file-download/download/public/80156
Digital Security & Surveillance Resistance
Electronic Frontier Foundation – Surveillance Self-Defense
Focus: Practical, easy-to-follow guides for protecting your communications and identity online.
Link: https://ssd.eff.org/
Human Rights First – How to Thwart Digital Surveillance
Focus: Comprehensive PDF guide on resisting state surveillance and protecting digital privacy.
Link: https://humanrightsfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/How-to-Thwart-Digital-Surveillance-8.21.pdf
Seven Steps to Digital Security (EFF)
Focus: Core habits and tools for individuals and groups operating under digital threat.
Link: https://ssd.eff.org/module/seven-steps-digital-security
Community Building & Mutual Aid Networks
Mutual Aid Hub
Focus: Find and connect with grassroots mutual aid networks in your area.
Link: https://www.mutualaidhub.org/
Mutual Aid Network
Focus: Global cooperative platform building community-based economies of care and support.
Link: https://mutualaidnetwork.org/
American Friends Service Committee – How to Create a Mutual Aid Network
Focus: Step-by-step organizing resource for starting a local network.
Link: https://afsc.org/news/how-create-mutual-aid-network
Media & Counter-Propaganda Tools
Council of Europe – Resources on Dealing with Propaganda and Fake News
Focus: Educational compendium for building media literacy and resisting manipulation.
Link: https://www.coe.int/en/web/campaign-free-to-speak-safe-to-learn/resources-on-dealing-with-propaganda-misinformation-and-fake-news
Learning for Justice – Media Literacy for Informed Decision-Making
Focus: Tools for evaluating sources, narratives, and manipulative framing in modern media.
Link: https://www.learningforjustice.org/media-literacy-is-vital-for-informed-decisionmaking
Carnegie Endowment – Countering Disinformation Effectively
Focus: Evidence-based strategies and policy research for combating disinformation ecosystems.
Link: https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2024/01/countering-disinformation-effectively-an-evidence-based-policy-guide
Operational Security (OPSEC) and Digital Safety
Strict infosec practices are critical in these times. Assume that bad actors are monitoring social platforms, public chats, and even supposedly “private” group spaces. The goal is not paranoia. The goal is to not make their job easy.
Read this section before you organize, travel, document, or communicate.
Infosec 101 for Activists
Level: Beginner
Covers: Basic device hygiene, safer messaging, how to avoid handing an authoritarian government a map of your network, what not to post.
Source: https://infosecforactivists.org/
How To INFOSEC & OPSEC
Level: Advanced
Covers: Planning, movement discipline, compartmentalization, keeping actions and people separated, handling evidence, and minimizing the damage if someone is detained or a device is seized.
PDF: https://www.fiftyfifty.one/_files/ugd/bb9e7e_6c80b7c77a4942419c81f698c1b51164.pdf
Practical Risk Notes
- Do not name or tag people publicly without their consent. You might be helping law enforcement or extremists build a target list.
- At protests or direct actions, leave extra phones, personal devices, and “smart” wearables at home. A phone is a tracking beacon.
- If you are detained or your device is taken, assume that everything on it is burned. Treat that device as compromised from that point forward.
Submit a Resource / Contact
If you have a resource that should be here — legal hotline info, first aid guides, protestor rights flyers, court support contacts, mutual aid networks — you can send it for review.
Important:
- Do not include names, locations, Signal numbers, or anything that could identify private organizers without their clear permission.
- Do not send anything that admits to illegal activity. We are not your lawyer.
- By sending information, you assert you have the right to share it publicly and that it does not put anyone in immediate danger.
Secure contact: secure mail
Silence is compliance. The first act of resistance is refusing to shut up.