Policymakers, digital rights advocates, academics, technologists, civil society organisations, and human rights defenders from across Europe and beyond will gather in Brussels, Belgium, on October 13, 2026, for the 14th edition of Privacy Camp, one of Europe’s leading forums on privacy, data protection, and digital rights.
The annual event, which will be held in a hybrid format with both in-person and online participation, is expected to provide a platform for critical discussions on the growing impact of digital technologies on society, democracy, human rights, and global governance.
Privacy Camp is organised by European Digital Rights (EDRi), in collaboration with its partners, the Research Group on Law, Science, Technology, and Society (LSTS) at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB); a Belgian non-profit organization, Privacy Salon vzw; the Insti-tute for European Studies (IEE), an interdisciplinary centre of excellence in teaching and research in European studies at Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles; and the Racism and Technology Center, a non-profit foundation based in The Netherlands that uses technology to expose and track systemic racism and social injustice in modern digital systems.
The organisers have announced that this year’s edition will be held under the theme, “The Origins of Future Technologies: Towards Communities of Digital Self-Determination,” examining how emerging technologies are shaped by political, economic, legal, and social forces, and what is required to ensure that digital innovation advances the public interest while respecting fundamental rights.
According to the organisers, the conference comes at a time of increasing concern over the use of technology in armed conflicts, surveillance, border control, economic competition, and democratic governance.
Discussions at the event will, therefore, explore how digital technologies can both empower communities and deepen surveillance, discrimination, militarisation, and social inequality. The programme will feature expert panels, interactive workshops, and policy discussions addressing a broad range of issues, including artificial intelligence (AI) governance, surveillance technologies, digital self-determination, platform regulation, data protection, online freedoms, and the implications of geopolitical tensions for digital rights.
Participation in the event is free, although advance registration is required.
The organisers have also issued a call for session proposals, inviting researchers, activists, policymakers, technologists, journalists, and civil society organisations to contribute to the programme with discussions that reflect the conference theme and address pressing challenges facing digital societies.
Widely regarded as one of Europe’s foremost annual gatherings on digital rights, Privacy Camp has grown steadily since its inception, bringing together hundreds of participants each year to exchange ideas, share research, strengthen advocacy networks, and develop policy responses to emerging challenges in the digital environment.
The last edition attracted more than 370 participants in Brussels and over 550 online, making it the largest in the event’s history.
The organisers said the 2026 conference aims to encourage deeper reflection on who shapes the technologies that increasingly influence people’s lives and how societies can promote democratic, equitable, and rights-respecting digital futures through stronger community participation and governance.
