Digital Action
Digital Action is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that campaigns to hold Big Tech accountable for digital threats to democracy and human rights. It coordinates the Global Coalition for Tech Justice (250+ organizations across 55 countries) and the Women's Rights Online network spanning 14 developing countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersWashington, D.C., United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Digital Action does
Digital Action is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 2019 that campaigns to hold Big Tech companies accountable for digital threats to democracy and human rights. The organization is headquartered in Washington, D.C. as a fiscally sponsored project of the New Venture Fund, and operates with a remote team of approximately 12 people distributed across the United States, the United Kingdom, Zambia, Palestine, Germany, and Spain. Its work centers on coordinating civil society coalitions, conducting advocacy campaigns, and producing research on online harms including disinformation, hate speech, algorithmic amplification, and online gender-based violence.
The organization's primary outputs are not commercial products but coalition-driven advocacy programs. The flagship initiative is the Global Coalition for Tech Justice (GCTJ), a network of 250+ member organizations and experts spanning 55 countries that coordinates rapid responses to digital harms and policy advocacy campaigns. In 2024, Digital Action launched the Women's Rights Online network, a coalition of gender justice and digital rights organizations across 14 developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The AI Commons Initiative, a more recent program, targets democratizing AI governance by centering global equity and human rights through a policy training network, a community participation design lab, and an oversight system. The organization does not develop commercial technology products, APIs, or AI/ML systems.
Digital Action's revenue model is foundation grant funding; the organization does not sell products or services and operates no pricing model. Principal funders include Luminate, MacArthur Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Skoll Foundation, and Ford Foundation, with institutional grant cycles governing its operating budget. The go-to-market model is community-led: Digital Action acts as a strategic convener that mobilizes civil society partners to run joint advocacy campaigns, publish research, brief policymakers, and engage with platform companies and regulators on technology policy. Revenue, budget, and grant amounts are not publicly disclosed.
Digital Action firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Digital Action
- Legal name
- Digital Action
- Website
- https://digitalaction.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Digital Action is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that campaigns to hold Big Tech accountable for digital threats to democracy and human rights. It coordinates the Global Coalition for Tech Justice (250+ organizations across 55 countries) and the Women's Rights Online network spanning 14 developing countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Digital Action industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Rights Advocacy
- NAICS
- Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Other Social Advocacy Organizations (813319)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Rights, Privacy & Free Expression Advocacy (BPAGAFAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Digital Inclusion & Civic Tech (Connectivity, GovTech for Social Good) (BPAGALAK), Media Freedom, Access to Information & Digital Rights (BPADAGAE), Spam, Fake Engagement & Content Abuse Prevention (HDADALAG)
Keywords
Where Digital Action is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington, D.C.
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Digital Action business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Foundation Grants and Donations: Digital Action is a 501(c)(3) fiscally sponsored project funded by foundations including Luminate, MacArthur Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Skoll Foundation, and Ford Foundation. They operate as a charitable organization dependent on grant funding and donations from institutional donors committed to democracy and human rights causes.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
Digital Action product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Digital Action mobilizes a global network of civil society partners to campaign against digital threats to democracy and human rights and to hold Big Tech companies accountable. Its work centers on coalition building, policy advocacy, rapid-response mobilization around documented digital harms (including during elections), and convening themed networks such as the Global Coalition for Tech Justice (55 countries) and Women's Rights Online (14 developing countries).
Product overview
Digital Action is an advocacy organization, not a software product company. It does not offer commercial products or services. Its activities consist of campaigning, coalition-building, and advocacy work to hold Big Tech companies accountable for digital threats to democracy and human rights. Key initiatives include the Global Coalition for Tech Justice (a network of 250+ organizations across 55 countries), the Women's Rights Online network, and the AI Commons Initiative proposal. These are advocacy coalitions and campaigns, not commercial software products or services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Global Coalition for Tech Justice (GCTJ): A network of organizations and experts across 55 countries, spanning advocacy groups, research institutions, academic bodies, and independent media, working on tech justice initiatives.
- Women's Rights Online
- AI Commons Initiative
Products and services
- Campaigning and coalition-building services for tech accountability Provides civil society organizations, governments, and partners with strategic campaign design, coalition convening, rapid-response mobilization around documented digital harms, and research dissemination to hold Big Tech companies accountable for digital threats to democracy and human rights.
Companies that use Digital Action
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Digital Action technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Digital Action partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Global Coalition for Tech Justice (GCTJ) MemberscoreNetwork of over 250 member organizations and experts across 55 countries including advocacy groups, research institutions, academic bodies, and independent media. Digital Action serves as convener. Signatories include CFF-Ghana, Digital Rights Frontlines, Centre for AI Ethics and Governance in Africa, Women of Uganda Network, Paradigm Initiative, TEDIC Paraguay, AfroLeadership, Legal Resources Centre-South Africa, and 40+ others.
- Women's Rights Online NetworkcoreGlobal network of gender justice and digital rights organizations across 14 developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, including IT for Change (India), Sulá Batsú Cooperativa (Costa Rica), Fundación Karisma (Colombia), HiperDerecho (Peru), Internet Lab (Brazil), KICTANet (Kenya), Pollicy (Uganda), and others working to bridge the gender gap in technology.
- Mozilla FoundationmajorPartnered with Digital Action and others to launch the UK General Election Ad moratorium campaign, calling on Facebook and Google to pause political ads before the 2019 UK election.
- Human Rights WatchmajorConsulted with Digital Action on Twitter/Prisoner of War videos issue, helping work with Twitter to get them to act on Geneva Convention violations regarding POW videos from Ukraine war.
- Victim Advocates InternationalmajorSupported by Digital Action to help 16 young Rohingya refugees bring a case against Facebook for its role in ethnic cleansing in Myanmar. Digital Action brought them together with Avaaz, Global Witness and others for media coverage and social media awareness.
- Conscious Advertising Network (CAN)majorDigital Action worked with Mozilla to support this coalition of advertising companies, helping create the Informed Consent manifesto. CAN has grown to an international network of over 180 advertisers and agencies.
- DoteveryoneminorPartner in UK Online Safety agenda coalition work and UK General Election Ad moratorium campaign.
- Full FactminorPartner in joint briefing on UK electoral regulation regarding digital campaigning.
- Global WitnessminorPartner in joint briefing on UK electoral regulation regarding digital campaigning.
- Open Rights GroupminorPartner in joint briefing on UK electoral regulation regarding digital campaigning.
- New Venture FundcoreProvides fiscal sponsorship for Digital Action as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Located at 1828 L Street NW, Suite 300 – A, Washington, D.C. 20036.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Digital Action competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Avaaz: Global web-based civic activism organization mobilizing millions on internet governance, disinformation, and platform accountability issues. Co-collaborated with Digital Action on the Rohingya Facebook case.
- 5Rights Foundation: UK-based foundation championing children's rights in the digital world. Digital Action's former Strategy Director Nick Martlew became its first executive director, signaling close mission alignment and overlapping constituency.
- Global Witness: International NGO investigating and campaigning on human rights and environmental harms linked to corporations, including Big Tech's role in disinformation and election interference. Direct partner on UK electoral regulation work.
- Witness (organization): International human rights NGO using video and technology to expose human rights abuses, including platform-facilitated harms. Comparable tech-and-rights advocacy model.
- Access Now: Global digital rights nonprofit defending and extending digital rights of users at risk. Most direct peer to Digital Action in mission, coalition structure, and policy advocacy targeting Big Tech harms.
- Mozilla Foundation: Public benefit foundation promoting a healthy internet through advocacy, grants, and campaigns. Named partner of Digital Action on the UK election ad moratorium; operates in the same Big Tech accountability space.
Broad incumbents
- Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF): Long-established leading nonprofit defending civil liberties in the digital world. Adjacent in digital rights mission but with a litigation and technical-standards orientation Digital Action does not emphasize.
- Freedom House: US-based NGO that monitors democratic freedoms globally, including the impact of digital repression and platform manipulation on elections. Overlapping interest in tech-and-democracy issues at global scale.
- Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT): Established US-based nonprofit working on internet and civil liberties policy with a broader remit (privacy, free expression, algorithmic accountability). Comparable advocacy posture but more established and larger footprint than Digital Action.
Emerging players
- Fight for the Future: Smaller digital rights advocacy group running high-profile campaigns on net neutrality, algorithmic accountability, and platform regulation. Comparable coalition-led advocacy model but with narrower US-centric focus.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Digital Action social profiles
Digital presenceDigital Action financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Digital Action leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Digital Action funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Digital Action M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Digital Action
What does Digital Action do?
Digital Action mobilizes a global network of civil society partners to campaign against digital threats to democracy and human rights and to hold Big Tech companies accountable. Its work centers on coalition building, policy advocacy, rapid-response mobilization around documented digital harms (including during elections), and convening themed networks such as the Global Coalition for Tech Justice (55 countries) and Women's Rights Online (14 developing countries).
Is Digital Action a public or private company?
Digital Action is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Digital Action founded?
Digital Action was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Digital Action based?
Digital Action is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, in the North America region.
How does Digital Action make money?
One revenue line is on record: foundation Grants and Donations.
Who are Digital Action's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Avaaz, 5Rights Foundation, Global Witness, Witness (organization), Access Now and Mozilla Foundation. Broad incumbents are Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Freedom House and Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT). Fight for the Future is listed as an emerging player.
Does Digital Action have an API?
No public API is recorded for Digital Action.
What industry is Digital Action in?
Digital Action's product category is Digital Rights Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAL, Digital Rights, Privacy & Free Expression Advocacy, with a secondary code of BPAGALAK, Digital Inclusion & Civic Tech (Connectivity, GovTech for Social Good). Its NAICS code is 813311 and its SIC code is 8300.