#2: InternetActivism

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Imagine an instant messaging system that works even when your phone is in airplane mode 🛫

InternetActivism is building an instant messaging service that works without the internet. This system enables individuals to communicate with others using Bluetooth, and it is just one of the suite of tools built by InternetActivism. For people in places like Iran, where communication is often restricted, this service could be a game-changer.

What is InternetActivism?

InternetActivism is a nonprofit organization based in the United States. Their mission is to build digital humanitarian tools.

The InternetActivism team is made up of 5 friends aged 19 to 21 years old. This passionate and ambitious team hails from the US, Canada, India, and France. They recently relocated to San Francisco to set up the InternetActivism HQ and grow the organization. You can join their Discord and follow them on Twitter.

InternetActivism is built on 3 principles - beneficence, privacy, and transparency. Their goal is to build cutting-edge humanitarian tools that help people in moments of crisis.

_{BTW - I also didn’t know what beneficence meant when I first saw it} 😂 _{It can be defined as an act of charity, mercy, and kindness with a strong connotation of doing good to others.}

So, what do these “digital humanitarian tools” look like?

🛑 600 million.

That’s how many people used the Covid stats website that InternetActivism built. 600 million people - it’s incredible.

When the pandemic began in 2019, InternetActivism leapt into action. They built a website to provide up-to-date and accurate tracking of covid cases across the globe. They pooled data from governments, media, and other online sources to provide a comprehensive dashboard.

When they started, there were only 51 cases of covid. They launched the website in just 48 hours 🤯

🏠 InternetActivism built UkraineTakeShelter.com - a website to help refugees find a place to stay after the conflict in Ukraine broke out. The website was built in 72 hours, cost less than $10 000, and helped more than 100 000 people find a place to stay.

When a massive earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, InternetActivism was quick to act. Drawing from their experience building UkraineTakeShelter, they launched a platform to help those in need find shelter. Their efforts were amongst the first to assist victims of the tragedy.

🤖 And in case all of that wasn’t enough, InternetActivism built an AI-powered 24/7 emergency chat line when they won a recent hackathon. This project is far from ready for the public, but InternetActivism’s speed of development means that it could be the next tool that saves lives.

These builders dream big and work every day to create something tremendous.

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