{{Short description|Conference on digital rights}} {{Infobox recurring event | name = RightsCon | logo = RightsCon-Logo.png | last = {{Start date and age|2025|2|24}} | next = May 5–8, 2026 (cancelled) | frequency = Annual | years_active = {{age|2011|10|25}} | first = {{Start date and age|2011|10}} (as Silicon Valley Human Rights Conference) | organised = Access Now | area = International (154 countries in 2025) | attendance = >5,000 (2025) | genre = digital rights; human rights | website = {{Official URL}} }}
'''RightsCon''' is an annual conference on digital rights hosted by Access Now.<ref>{{cite web |title=About RightsCon |url=https://www.rightscon.org/about-and-contact/ |website=RightsCon Summit Series |access-date=1 May 2026}}</ref> It convenes international leaders and organizations to discuss global problems including internet censorship, the regulation of algorithms, electronic surveillance, the ethics of technology, online hate speech, content moderation, cyberwarfare, and more.
== History == thumb|right|RightsCon logo, 2018-2023
The conference was first convened by Access (today, Access Now) in Silicon Valley in 2011, with the intention of gathering civil society to discuss impacts of the growing tech industry on digital rights and human rights. It sought the participation of leaders from both industry (including companies such as Twitter, Google, Mozilla, and Comcast) and civil society organizations (such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and New America).<ref>{{cite news |last1=York |first1=Jillian C. |title=An EFF Guide to the Silicon Valley Human Rights Summit |url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/10/eff-guide-to-rightscon |access-date=1 May 2026 |work=Electronic Frontier Foundation |date=21 October 2011 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="2011-rightscon">{{cite web |title=Silicon Valley Human Rights Conference |url=https://www.rightscon.org/ |website=www.rightscon.org |access-date=1 May 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026184410/https://www.rightscon.org/ |archive-date=26 October 2011}}</ref> Keynote speakers included the then-Assistant Secretary of State, Michael Posner; Egyptian blogger and political prisoner, Alaa Abd El-Fattah; and then-director of public policy at Google, Bob Boorstin.<ref name="2011-rightscon" />
RightsCon organizers have sought to ensure the event is accessible to attendees from across the globe, particularly global majority countries, informing the decision to hold the conference in Asia,<ref>{{cite news |title=Announcing RightsCon Southeast Asia – EngageMedia |url=https://engagemedia.org/2014/announcing-rightscon-southeast-asia// |access-date=1 May 2026 |work=EngageMedia |date=April 2014}}</ref> the Middle East,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Halila |first1=Yassine |title=Meeting on digital human rights convenes in region for first time |url=https://thearabweekly.com/meeting-digital-human-rights-convenes-region-first-time |access-date=1 May 2026 |work=The Arab Weekly |date=23 June 2019}}</ref> and Latin America.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pennacchio |first1=Katherine |title=Latin American journalists discuss current challenges and opportunities for the profession at RightsCon 2023 |url=https://latamjournalismreview.org/articles/latin-american-journalists-discuss-current-challenges-and-opportunities-for-the-profession-at-rightscon-2023/ |access-date=1 May 2026 |work=LatAm Journalism Review by the Knight Center |date=21 June 2023 |language=en}}</ref>
===Online convenings=== In 2020, RightsCon was to be held in San José, Costa Rica, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting took place in an online format.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home - RightsCon Summit Series |url=https://www.rightscon.org/attend/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190616184156/https://www.rightscon.org/attend/ |archive-date=2019-06-16 |access-date=2019-06-16 |website=RightsCon Summit Series |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2021, the 10th edition of RightsCon was again held online from Monday, June 7 to Friday, June 11, 2021, due to the continued global COVID-19 pandemic which altered several digital rights physical meetings.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=RightsCon 2021 {{!}} Digital Watch |url=https://dig.watch/events/rightscon-2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604184535/https://dig.watch/events/rightscon-2021 |archive-date=2021-06-04 |access-date=2021-06-04 |website=dig.watch}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=RIGHTSCON – WORLD'S LEADING SUMMIT ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE DIGITAL AGE |url=https://gfmd.info/event/rightscon-worlds-leading-summit-on-human-rights-in-the-digital-age/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604184535/https://gfmd.info/event/rightscon-worlds-leading-summit-on-human-rights-in-the-digital-age/ |archive-date=2021-06-04 |access-date=2021-06-04 |website=[BETA] Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) |language=en-GB}}</ref> The topics for RightsCon2021 included: Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, data protection and user control, digital futures, democracy, elections, new business models, content control, peacebuilding, censorship, internet shutdowns, freedom of the media and many others were discussed by several digital rights organizations and individuals.<ref name=":5" />
=== 2026 cancellation === The 14th RightsCon was scheduled to be held in Zambia from May 5 to 8, 2026.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2026-05-01 |title=Zambia: Summit on Human Rights, Technology Effectively Canceled |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/05/01/zambia-summit-on-human-rights-technology-effectively-canceled |access-date=2026-05-01 |language=en|website=Human Rights Watch}}</ref> On April 29, 2026, the Zambian government abruptly postponed the conference, writing in a statement that the postponement was "necessitated by the need for comprehensive disclosure […] relating to key thematic issues proposed for discussion during the Summit."<ref name=":0" />
In May 2026, the conference was cancelled due to pressure from the Chinese government.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Elliott |first=Vittoria |title=The Chinese Government Just Got the World's Largest Digital Rights Conference Canceled |url=https://www.wired.com/story/the-chinese-government-pressured-zambia-to-cancel-the-worlds-largest-digital-rights-conference/ |access-date=2026-05-01 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Imray |first=Gerald |date=2026-05-02 |title=Rights summit in Zambia is canceled after Chinese pressure to exclude Taiwanese activists |url=https://apnews.com/article/china-taiwan-rights-conference-africa-zambia-d8907171fb4ee4d0570255c473d8c004 |access-date=2026-05-02 |website=Associated Press |language=en}}</ref> In a statement the same day, Access Now wrote that it was "told that diplomats from the People's Republic of China (PRC) were putting pressure on the Government of Zambia because Taiwanese civil society participants were planning to join us in person."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Whelan |first=Igor Campos, Nikki Gladstone, Ben |date=2026-05-01 |title=A statement to our community about why RightsCon 2026 will not take place in Zambia |url=https://www.rightscon.org/rc26-statement/ |access-date=2026-05-01 |website=RightsCon Summit Series |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-05-02 |title=Beijing likely forced cancelation of rights event in Zambia, HRW says |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/05/02/2003856633 |access-date=2026-05-01 |website=Taipei Times|last=Chin|first=Jonathan}}</ref>
==List of conferences== Past RightsCon conferences include:
{| class="wikitable" |- !Year !Location !Date !Reported participants !Participating countries !Website |- |2026 |Lusaka |May 5-8 | colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | ''Canceled'' |[https://web.archive.org/web/20260508090531/https://www.rightscon.org/ Website] |- |2025 |Taipei |February 24–27 |5,600+ |154 |[https://www.rightscon.org/rc25-outcomes-report/ Website] |- |2023 |San José, Costa Rica |June 5–9 |8,300+ |169 |[https://www.rightscon.org/rc23-outcomes-report/ Website] |- |2022 |Online |June 6–10 |9,300+ |162 |[https://web.archive.org/web/20220429185722/https://www.rightscon.org/ Website] |- |2021 |Online |June 7–11 |9,200+ |164 |[https://www.rightscon.org/past-events/rightscon-2021/ Website] |- |2020 |Online |July 27–31 |7,600+ |158 |[https://www.rightscon.org/past-events/online-2020/ Website] |- |2019 |Tunis |June 11–14 |2,750+ |122 |[https://www.rightscon.org/past-events/tunis-2019/ Website] |- |2018 |Toronto |May 16–18 |2,500+ |118 |[https://www.rightscon.org/past-events/toronto-2018/ Website] |- |2017 |Brussels |March 29–31 |1,500+ |105 |[https://www.rightscon.org/past-events/brussels-2017/ Website] |- |2016 |Silicon Valley |March 30-April 1 |1,100+ |84 |[https://www.rightscon.org/past-events/silicon-valley-2016/ Website] |- |2015 |Manila |March 24–25 |650+ |40 |[https://www.rightscon.org/past-events/manila-2015/ Website] |- |2014 |Silicon Valley |March 3–5 |700+ |65 |[https://www.rightscon.org/past-events/silicon-valley-2014 Website] |- |2012 |Rio de Janeiro |May 31-June 1 |400+ |30 |[https://web.archive.org/web/20120524222503/http://www.rightscon.org/rio/ Website] |- |2011 |Silicon Valley |October 25–26 | 400+ | |[https://web.archive.org/web/20111026184410/https://www.rightscon.org/ Website] |- |}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* {{Official website}}
Category:Annual events Category:Recurring events established in 2011 Category:Technology conferences Category:International conferences Category:Events relating to freedom of expression Category:Regulation of artificial intelligence Category:Digital rights Category:Internet censorship Category:Mass media regulation