Deflect opened its services for free to qualifying organizations in 2011. Since then, we have protected thousands of active civil society groups and individuals working on human rights & civic support, ethnic minority rights, environmental protection, non-profit media and democracy promotion, to name a few. We have largely funded our work from public grant programs, but are now attempting to evolve towards self-sustainability – supported by opening the door to commercial initiatives. Profits generated on Deflect are channelled directly into providing a free service to civil society organizations and activists around the world. See some of our current clients.
Eligibility
Individuals and groups requiring free Deflect protection should meet the following criteria:
- You defend human rights; run a civil society organization; produce independent or not for profit media; or work with people who do one of these.
- Your work does not contravene the principles set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- Your work does not promote hate speech or encourage discrimination.
- You agree with our Terms of Use and accept the Privacy Notice.
Anyone who qualifies for protection under these terms can also create or migrate a website to the eQPress platform.
Other options
Deflect is not the only DDoS mitigation service available for human rights defenders, civil society groups, independent media and other activists. At the time of writing, here are three other (well-known) initiatives which offer website hosting and DDoS mitigation services free of charge.
Each offers a robust, capable service, so you will likely be protected whichever one you choose. However, there are key differences with each provider that we believe are crucial to consider before making your choice. You can also read an excellent overview of the field with extensive advice on how to protect your site from an attack here.