
World's leading summit on human rights in the digital age
Every year, we bring together business leaders, policy makers, general counsels, technologists, advocates, academics, government representatives, and journalists from around the world to tackle the most pressing issues at the intersection of human rights and technology. In 2020, we gathered online! Thank you to all 7,681 participants from 157 countries across the world who joined us for a historic RightsCon.
We will gather again online from Monday June 7 to Friday June 11, 2021. Stay tuned for more updates!
Revisiting RightsCon Online 2020? We will be continuously updating the video playlist below with highlights of the RightsCon Online program. Click on the video and on the top right of the screen you will find a list of all the public RightsCon sessions to choose from. If you are a registered participant, some sessions are available to rewatch on the platform. Connect with us through our newsletter and on Twitter for updates!
"I'm glad for having decided to attend the #RightsCon2020. It is a great experience for me and I am learning a lot. Thank you and the entire team at #RightsCon and #AccessNow for a job well done and for facilitating my internet costs for the week's attendance."
Laure Nganlay, Communication Associate #defyhatenow Cameroon
“There was a huge contingent interested in the right to health, with topics directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to other public health and digital rights intersections. As a public health researcher, it was so great to have the chance to learn from folks in other disciplines, with ideas and insights we could bring back to our own pandemic and health misinformation response effort, in this crazy, totally (what feels like an) unprecedented time.”
Nat Gyenes, Meedan
"Ended the panel to a message on Twitter saying that the panel was “life giving”. I feel the same - I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the chance to think optimistically and constructively about the future we want to build. Excited to work with you all to build it!"
Amy Studdart, IRI
"A truly impressive event that clearly demonstrates how NGOs have become undoubtable players in cyberspace."
Uri Rosenthal, Former Dutch Special Envoy Cyberspace and Former Dutch Foreign Minister
"We’re here at RightsCon, to try to turn that around, and ensure that digital tools don’t overpower our human rights – and instead, empower us all to enjoy them."
Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
"I believe that RightsCon remains the most effective and informed forum to understand the Internet community’s priorities."
Michael Karimian, Senior Manager, Human Rights, Microsoft
"RightsCon is an online and offline space to build relationships on the digital rights' agenda among actors and communities from diverse sectors and geographical locations."
Alejandro Mayoral Banos, Executive Director, Indigenous Friends Organization
"Thank you for listening to us and facilitating connections. By organizing RightsCon and bringing together people from all over the world, you’ve helped create many future solutions."
Haben Girma, White House Champion of Change, Forbes 30 under 30 leader, and BBC Women of Africa Hero
"A truly impressive event that clearly demonstrates how NGOs have become undoubtable players in cyberspace."
Uri Rosenthal, Dutch Special Envoy Cyberspace and Former Dutch Foreign Minister
"I believe that RightsCon remains the most effective and informed forum to understand the Internet community’s priorities."
Michael Karimian, Senior Manager, Human Rights, Microsoft
"I found the conference to be game-changing for my work in the peace and security sector in the UN, in that it pulled together actors from the private sector, NGOs, activist world and UN who can speak powerfully to the core issues."
Christina Goodness, Chief, DPPA-DPO Information Management Unit
RightsCon Network of Speakers
Every year, RightsCon convenes 1,000+ expert speakers across a range of sectors, industries, and communities. Take a look at some of the speakers who will join us online below, or explore past speakers from RightsCon Tunis and Toronto.

Shoshana Zuboff
Shoshana Zuboff
Author, "The Age of Surveillance Capitalism"
María Paz Canales
María Paz Canales
Executive Director, Derechos Digitales
Zeynep Tufekci
Zeynep Tufekci
Writer, Professor, and Techno-Sociologist
Dragana Kaurin
Dragana Kaurin
Founder and Director, Localization Lab
Nanjala Nyabola
Nanjala Nyabola
Writer and Political Analyst
Michelle Bachelet
Michelle Bachelet
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Mohamed al-Maskati
Mohamed al-Maskati
Digital Security Consultant, Frontline Defenders
Edward Snowden
Edward Snowden
Board Member, Freedom of the Press Foundation
Steve Huffman
Steve Huffman
CEO and Co-Founder, Reddit
Kathy Brown
Kathy Brown
Former President and CEO, ISOC
Audrey Tang
Audrey Tang
Digital Minister, Taiwan
Steve Crown
Steve Crown
Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Microsoft
E. Tendayi Achiume
E. Tendayi Achiume
UN Special Rapporteur, Racism & Discrimination
Darrah Blackwater
Darrah Blackwater
Indigenous Connectivity Advocate
Nathaniel Gleicher
Nathaniel Gleicher
Head of Cybersecurity Policy, Facebook
Matthew Prince
Matthew Prince
Co-Founder and CEO of CloudFlare
William Cathcart
William Cathcart
Head, WhatsApp
Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin
Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin
Chair, CNIL (French Data Protection Authority)
Brad Smith
Brad Smith
President, Microsoft
Alix Dunn
Alix Dunn
Former Executive Director, The Engine Room
Salil Shetty
Salil Shetty
Former Secretary General at Amnesty International
Behrouz Boochani
Behrouz Boochani
Author, Journalist, Professor, University of New South Wales
Kathryn Hume
Kathryn Hume
Vice President, Product & Strategy, integrate.ai
Rashad Robinson
Rashad Robinson
President, Color Of Change
Harlem Désir
Harlem Désir
Former OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
Derrick Johnson
Derrick Johnson
President & CEO, NAACP
Anthony D. Romero
Anthony D. Romero
Executive Director, ACLU
Noomane Fehri
Noomane Fehri
CEO, BiatLabs
Matt Chessen
Matt Chessen
Senior Technology Policy Advisor, U.S. Department of State
Uri Rosenthal
Uri Rosenthal
Special Envoy for Cyberspace and Former Foreign Minister, Netherlands
Michel Forst
Michel Forst
UN Special Rapporteur, Situation of Human Rights Defenders
Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein
Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein
Former UN High Commissioner, Human Rights
Clément Voule
Clément Voule
UN Special Rapporteur on the Freedom of Assembly and Association
Mikael Ekman
Mikael Ekman
Interim Tech Ambassador of Denmark
Alex Walden
Alex Walden
Counsel, Free Expression and Human Rights, Google
Dunja Mijatović
Dunja Mijatović
Commissioner for Human Rights, Council of Europe
Michael Geist
Michael Geist
Professor, University of Ottawa
Binalakshmi Nepram
Binalakshmi Nepram
Founder, Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network
David Kaye
David Kaye
UN Special Rapporteur, Freedom of Expression
Julie Owono
Julie Owono
Executive Director, Internet Sans Frontières
Japleen Prasicha
Japleen Prasicha
Founder & Editor-In-Chief, Feminism In India
Edward Santow
Edward Santow
Human Rights Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission
Rashida Richardson
Rashida Richardson
Director of Policy Research, AI Now Institute; Visiting Scholar, Rutgers Law
Marc-Etienne Ouimette
Marc-Etienne Ouimette
Director of Public Policy and Government Relations, Element AI
Agnès Callamard
Agnès Callamard
UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions
Peggy Hicks
Peggy Hicks
Director, United Nations Human Rights
Jim Halloran
Jim Halloran
Global Lead, Strategy, Policy, and Narrative, Google
Sunita Bose
Sunita Bose
Former Head of Policy and Global Brand, Change.org
Rauno Merisaari
Rauno Merisaari
Ambassador, Human Rights and Democracy, Finland
Jessica Rosenworcel
Jessica Rosenworcel
Federal Communications Commissioner
Alp Toker
Alp Toker
Executive Director, Turkey Blocks
John Graham-Cumming
John Graham-Cumming
Chief Technology Officer, Cloudflare
Rebecca MacKinnon
Rebecca MacKinnon
Director, Ranking Digital Rights
Jackeline Stewart
Jackeline Stewart
Former Vice President, Spitfire Strategies
Melissa Tidwell
Melissa Tidwell
Vice President & General Counsel, Reddit
Mario Oetheimer
Mario Oetheimer
Head of Sector Information Society, Privacy and Data Protection, EU FRA
Ei Myat Noe Khin
Ei Myat Noe Khin
Digital Rights Program Manager, Phandeeyar
Ron Deibert
Ron Deibert
Director, Citizen Lab
Nighat Dad
Nighat Dad
Executive Director, Digital Rights Foundation
Hillary Hartley
Hillary Hartley
Chief Digital Officer, Province of Ontario
Lea Kaspar
Lea Kaspar
Executive Director, Global Partners Digital
Tara Denham
Tara Denham
Director, Democracy Unit, Global Affairs Canada
Gabriella Coleman
Gabriella Coleman
Wolfe Chair Scientific & Technological Literacy, McGill
Brett Solomon
Brett Solomon
Executive Director and Co-Founder, Access Now
Gbenga Sesan
Gbenga Sesan
Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative
Carmelyn Malalis
Carmelyn Malalis
Chair and Commissioner, NY City Commission on Human Rights
Rohinton Medhora
Rohinton Medhora
President, Centre for International Governance Innovation
Maria Ressa
Maria Ressa
CEO, Rappler
Renu Mandhane
Renu Mandhane
Chief Commissioner, Ontario Human Rights of Ontario
Cindy Cohn
Cindy Cohn
Executive Director, Electronic Frontier Foundation
Milton Mueller
Milton Mueller
Professor, Georgia Tech School of Public Policy
Uffa Modey
Uffa Modey
Co-Founder, Digital Grassroots
Thomas Drake
Thomas Drake
Whistleblower
Eva Galperin
Eva Galperin
Director, Cybersecurity, Electronic Frontier Foundation
Maryam Al-Khawaja
Maryam Al-Khawaja
Bahraini Human Rights Activist
Scott Busby
Scott Busby
Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of State
Jen Castro
Jen Castro
Program Coordinator, Digital Democracy
Cathleen Berger
Cathleen Berger
Global Engagement Lead, Mozilla
Ramy Raoof
Ramy Raoof
Technologist and Privacy Researcher
Deborah Brown
Deborah Brown
Global Policy Advocacy Lead, APC
Michael Posner
Michael Posner
Director, NYU Stern Center for Business & Human Rights
Nicole Karlebach
Nicole Karlebach
Global Head, Business and Human Rights, Verizon and Verizon Media
Deji Bryce Olukotun
Deji Bryce Olukotun
Head of Social Impact, Sonos
Bassem Awad
Bassem Awad
Deputy Director for Intellectual Property Law and Innovation, CIGI
Mark Surman
Mark Surman
Executive Director, Mozilla Foundation
Sam Gregory
Sam Gregory
Program Director, WITNESS
Avery Davis-Roberts
Avery Davis-Roberts
Associate Director, Democracy Program, The Carter Center
Kaja Ciglic
Kaja Ciglic
Director, Digital Diplomacy, Microsoft
Fabrice Houdart
Fabrice Houdart
Human Rights Officer, United Nations
Courtney C. Radsch
Courtney C. Radsch
Advocacy Director, Committee to Protect Journalists
Megha Rajagopalan
Megha Rajagopalan
World Correspondent, BuzzFeed News
Tanya O’Carroll
Tanya O’Carroll
Director, Global Tech & Human Rights Programme, Amnesty International
Matt Mitchell
Matt Mitchell
Director, Digital Safety & Privacy, Tactical Tech
An Xiao Mina
An Xiao Mina
Director of Product, Meedan
Lorena Jaume-Palasi
Lorena Jaume-Palasi
Founder & Executive Director, AlgorithmWatch
Chenai Chair
Chenai Chair
Researcher, Research ICT Africa
Mira Milosevic
Mira Milosevic
Executive Director, Global Forum for Media Development
Maryant Fernandez Perez
Maryant Fernandez Perez
Senior Policy Advisor, European Digital Rights (EDRi)
Ursula Wynhoven
Ursula Wynhoven
Representative to the United Nations, ITU
Anahi Ayala Iacucci
Anahi Ayala Iacucci
Senior Humanitarian Director, InternewsKeep Up to Date with the RightsCon Rundown
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