Flash
Drives
for
Freedom

CURRENTLY, WE ONLY RECEIVE FLASH DRIVES AT OUR NEW YORK ADDRESS

Human Rights Foundation
350 5th Ave #6500
New York, NY 10118
United States

DONATE USB DRIVES and SD CARDS TO HELP US SMUGGLE OUTSIDE INFORMATION INTO NORTH KOREA.

Believe it or not, USBs are a significant form of sharing information in North Korea. Many citizens have devices with USB ports and SD card slots. So for many years, North Korean defectors have organized efforts to smuggle outside info into North Korea on USB drives to counter Kim Jong-un’s constant propaganda. But these groups were buying memory devices at cost with limited resources. Flash Drives For Freedom is a campaign that travels the world inspiring people to donate their own memory drives. An initiative launched and managed by the Human Rights Foundation, Flash Drives for Freedom is significantly increasing the capacities of these North Korean defector groups.

134,716

Drives Donated AND PLEDGED

1.347M

NORTH KOREANS REACHED

68M

Hours of reading material disseminated

2.57M

Hours of footage smuggled

$17M

EARNED Media VALUE

1.5B

Media Impressions

as of February 2024

How it works

Mail in your memory device (USB drives, SD cards, microSD cards) or donate cash to purchase drives. Every dollar donated in cash is equivalent to one drive.

The USB drives are erased, logos are removed, and are filled with content proven to inspire North Koreans to disbelieve Kim Jong-Un's propaganda and take a stand. Contents include e-books, films, and an offline Korean Wikipedia.

The drives are smuggled into the country using many different methods. A healthy black market distributes the drives throughout North Korea. The majority of North Koreans have access to devices that can read USB drives, SD cards, and microSD cards, using an adapter.

Read their stories.

listen to their stories

North Korea is a country where dictators are worshiped like gods, where the postal system reads and censors all mail, and where citizens cannot access the internet. But there’s more to North Korea than oppressive government surveillance and critically malnourished citizens. There’s a lot of sensationalism surrounding the Hermit Kingdom. Listen to North Korean defectors tell their stories.

Organize a Drive.

Your passion and community organizing skills can help raise awareness, resulting in the donation of flash drives on your campus, in your local community, or within your digital network. These drives will carry content that is new and different from everything most North Koreans know. This authoritarian regime is most threatened by external information getting into the hands of its citizens.

Download the toolkit

download promo files

Check out our partners.

FAQS

ARE DONATIONS TAX-DEDUCTIBLE?

If you would like a tax receipt for your donation of flash drives, please include your contact information (including email) as well as a description and estimated value of the donated goods.

WHAT GOES ON THE DRIVES?

Our North Korean defector partners determine what goes on the drives. Content ranges from South Korean soap operas and Hollywood films, to Korean-language versions of Wikipedia and interviews with North Korean defectors.

HOW DOES THIS MAKE AN IMPACT?

These drives will carry content that is new and different from everything most North Koreans know. This authoritarian regime is most threatened by external information getting into the hands of its citizens.

AREN'T YOU PUTTING PEOPLE IN DANGER BY SENDING DRIVES?

The North Korean government strictly prohibits access to foreign information and media, and individuals found in possession of this material do face severe punishment. However, access to foreign information in North Korea has grown significantly in the last 20 years, and it is a valued and coveted commodity. In addition, HRF believes that access to information is a fundamental right, not a privilege.

how can you help?

1. Donate flash drives

We only accept USB sticks, SD cards, and microSD cards. Any color and brand - If you’re purchasing new memory devices, please note that our activists only accept capacities of 16 GBs or more, so they can upload more video content onto them.

Human Rights Foundation
350 5th Ave #6500
New York, NY 10118
United States