HRO Cloud
Secure file storage system for human rights organizations, journalists, and activists.
As part of our mission to preserve privacy as a fundamental human right, Least Authority has been listening to feedback from human rights defenders about their file storage needs.
Human rights defenders — including human rights organizations, journalists and activists — have told us they need file storage solutions that are not only highly secure, but also affordable (or no-cost) and accessible to users without organizational tech support. The result was the Human Rights Organizations (HRO) Cloud, which Least Authority launched in January 2021.
Key Features
Privacy & Security
User data is encrypted before it leaves the device and only the user controls the keys to their files. Least Authority cannot see what data is stored on the HRO Cloud.
Reliability
If a single server fails or is taken over by an attack, the entire storage system continues to function correctly and users will be able to access their data.
Transparency
HRO Cloud is built on Tahoe-LAFS, an open-source, distributed cloud storage system.
Support
We provide users with access to a privacy-respecting helpdesk, available by email or Signal.
No Cost to Users
The HRO Cloud responds to a specific need in some organizations in which a payment trail to cloud storage could trigger or heighten surveillance.
Join Us
If you are a human rights defender — including organizations, activists, and journalists — and you would like to try the HRO Cloud, please email us at: hrocloud@leastauthority.com
Our long term vision includes human rights defenders being able to use the HRO Cloud while remaining identity-less to Least Authority. For the purposes of this pilot, however, some communication with the users of the HRO Cloud is necessary in order to improve the project. Therefore we will ask that users provide a way for Least Authority to contact at least one person from each group/organization, namely an email address or Signal number.
An additional requirement for participation is that your work is focused on one or more of the following regions: Latin America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, or Eastern Europe. We are particularly interested in defenders who work in the following areas: promoting human rights, women and girls, LGBTQI people, disabilities, racial and ethnic minorities, and other marginalized groups.
By building tools like the HRO Cloud that prioritize use cases that protect vulnerable and marginalized groups, Least Authority aims to mainstream privacy features and building tools that are more secure for everyone.
Questions? Feedback? Ideas?
Send your inquiries about our cloud storage for human rights defenders to hrocloud@leastauthority.com