Access Now was founded by Brett Solomon, Cameran Ashraf, Sina Rabbani and Kim Pham in 2009, after the contested Iranian presidential election of that year. During the protests that followed this election, Access Now played a noted role in disseminating the video footage which came out of Iran. Access Now has campaigned against internet shutdowns, online censorship, international trade agreements, and government surveillance. Access Now has also supported the use of encryption and limited cybersecurity laws and regulations.