RightsCon convenes the global community for human rights in the digital age.

Hosted by Access Now, RightsCon is where the world’s business leaders, technologists, engineers, investors, activists, human rights experts, and government representatives come together to build partnerships, shape global norms, showcase new technologies, and confront the most challenging issues at the intersection of human rights and technology. More than an event, RightsCon is a global community with thousands of leading voices across stakeholder lines. It is an energizing reminder of the existence of a powerful global digital rights community that is determined to defend human rights and keep the internet open and free. You can learn more about our community here here.

RightsCon’s mission is to provide a platform for community members to effect real and positive change in the world through both traditional and innovative approaches. The event’s programming is not only an arena of global, regional, and national policy debates, it is home to technologists creating new tools, and advocates creating new campaigns. Conference programming is created by our participants, changes each year in response to emerging global issues, and has an an explicit focus on driving tangible outcomes. Over the three-day event, there are hundreds of community-led, groundbreaking sessions.

Originally called the Silicon Valley Human Rights Conference, RightsCon is now an annual event that rotates its location to cities around the world that are power centers for technology and human rights. You can see highlights of our past events in global cities around the world here.

Thank you RightsCon Toronto, hello RightsCon Tunis!

Access Now is thrilled to have brought the seventh installment of RightsCon to Canada’s largest city for RightsCon Toronto. RightsCon Toronto was our biggest and most important summit yet, with 2520 registered participants. This year’s program explored pressing issues including innovation policy in Canada, free expression and protection of global journalism, gender diversity and digital inclusion, encryption and cybersecurity, and many other topics relevant to keeping the internet free, open, and secure worldwide. Revisit the program, explore outcomes, and review resources here.

Originally called the Silicon Valley Human Rights Conference, RightsCon has constantly evolved to keep up with the pressing issues around the world. Since 2011, we’ve convened RightsCon in many different environments around the world: San Francisco, Rio de Janeiro, Manila, Brussels, and Toronto. With each host city bringing its own perspective and host of partners, we’re seeking to build out a globally connected community of people fighting for human rights in the digital age.

For 2019, we’re excited to bring RightsCon to Africa and the Middle East for the first time in Tunis, Tunisia. Tunisian civil society has done incredible work to build and defend a rights-respecting democracy, and Tunisians are still fighting daily to protect essential rights of privacy and freedom of speech. Hard-fought victories in Tunisia have been a beacon of hope for others across the region and the world - but there is still work left to do.

Stay tuned as we release more news about RightsCon 2019!

Want to know more about what happened at RightsCon Toronto? Get more information about speakers and participants here.

Frequently Asked Questions

In 2020, RightsCon will be hosted in Central America for the first time, in San José, Costa Rica from June 9 to June 12. The conference venue will be the vibrant and eco-friendly Costa Rica Convention Center, a short trip from the Juan Santamaría International Airport.

You can subscribe to the RightsCon Rundown for email updates on the community, submission deadlines, RightsCon Costa Rica, event logistics, and more here!

You can find photo highlights from RightsCon Toronto here!! Make sure to use the official hashtag #RightsCon when you share on social media

Stay tuned for our RightsCon Toronto recap video!

RightsCon participants are a global community of business leaders, policy makers, general counsels, government representatives, technologists, and human rights defenders. You can learn more about specific speakers, companies, and organizations in our community here.

You can subscribe to the RightsCon Rundown for email updates on the community, submission deadlines, RightsCon Costa Rica, event logistics, and more here!

The RightsCon Code of Conduct is available here.

Access Now is dedicated to creating and protecting safe spaces for people, online and off. Participants and stakeholders of the Access Now community are expected to understand and abide by this Code of Conduct.

The RightsCon Summit Series is brought to you by Access Now.

Access Now is an international not-for-profit organization dedicated to defending and extending the digital rights of users at risk around the world. By combining direct technical support, comprehensive policy engagement, global advocacy, grassroots grantmaking, and convenings such as RightsCon, we fight for human rights in the digital age.

We are a team of 70, with local staff in more than 15 locations around the world - Berlin, Brussels, Cordoba, Delhi, London, Manila, Nairobi, New York, San José, Tunis, and Washington DC. We maintain four legally incorporated entities - Belgium, Costa Rica, Tunisia, and the United States - with our tech, advocacy, policy, granting, and operations teams distributed across all regions. Our Costa Rica office opened in 2015.

 

CONTACT US

GENERAL INFO & SPONSORSHIP

RightsCon Director Nick Dagostino and Associate Nikki Gladstone are here to help you!

PHONE

+1 888-414-0100

EMAIL

conference [at] accessnow.org
nickd [at] accessnow.org
nikki [at] accessnow.org

TWITTER


@rightscon

 
 
 

Keep Up to Date with the RightsCon Rundown

Get our newsletter for updates on tickets, speakers, and programming.

RightsCon is proudly brought to you by

accessnow_logo