#RightsCon

#AccessNow has now publicly confirmed that they also believe the Chinese government pressured #Zambia into censoring #RightsCon 2026 because of participants from #Taiwan.

The statement of what happened is a testament of how strong the influence of authoritarians has become and how the global #DigitalRights community is a target.

https://www.rightscon.org/rc26-statement/

#censorship #PRC #China #Lusaka

Top of the @404mediaco journalist feed right now: Matthew Gault's story on the abrupt cancelation of #RightsCon.

https://surf.social/feed/surf%2Fcustom%2F01jpns67fmhhbkqaat5fkpp16s

#Technology #Tech #SurfSocial #SurfFeeds

More information in this Tech Policy Press article that mention potential Chinese pressure on Zambia to prevent Taiwanese delegates to speak at the event #rightscon

RightsCon Canceled After Zambia Requires ‘Full Alignment’ With 'National Values'
https://www.techpolicy.press/rightscon-canceled-after-zambia-requires-full-alignment-with-national-values/

More information in this Tech Policy Press article that mention potential Chinese pressure on Zambia to prevent Taiwanese delegates to speak at the event #rightscon

RightsCon Canceled After Zambia Requires ‘Full Alignment’ With 'National Values'
https://www.techpolicy.press/rightscon-canceled-after-zambia-requires-full-alignment-with-national-values/

Tor Project statement in solidarity with #rightscon, @accessnow , local organizers, and civil society in Zambia and across the region. https://blog.torproject.org/rightscon2026-statement-Tor-Project/

The circumstances behind the cancellation underscore the urgent fight against censorship, surveillance, and restrictions on civic participation.

Credit to RightsCon for not playing along.

If a government starts putting its thumb on the scale, the whole thing loses credibility. Better to shut it down than pretend it’s still an open space.

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World’s Largest Digital Human Rights Conference Suddenly Canceled

https://www.404media.co/rightscon-human-rights-conference-suddenly-postponed/

#RightsCon #News #Democracy #Humanrights

TIL check the strings attached to the "donations" you receive:

"...However, well-placed sources have told News Diggers! that #RightsCon has actually been cancelled because the programme involves Taiwanese delegates who would potentially speak against #China at a venue donated by the Chinese government."

https://diggers.news/local/2026/04/30/govt-cancels-rightscon-summit-citing-security-concerns-on-some-delegates/

#PRC #Taiwan #DigitalRights #TheLongArm

RIghtsCon, the world's largest digital human rights conference, has been suddenly canceled. The event was due to be held in Zambia from May 5-8, but the country's Ministry of Information said today it was postponed due to "thematic issues" and problems with speakers. @404mediaco reports that organizers Access Now have now confirmed its cancelation.

https://flip.it/N5fPA2

#RightsCon #Zambia #HumanRights #Technology #Tech

@ilumium just saw the news! It is quite a loss indeed 😔

I feel so sorry for the access now team and the civil rights defenders.

And of course, I was so excited to talk about information integrity with the #RightsCon community 😢 but that's a drop in the ocean of disappointment.

This is absolutely wild: The #Zambia government has just cancelled the world's most important digital rights conference #RightsCon 2026 which was supposed to start next week in #Lusaka. 3,000+ participants are now hanging in limbo (myself included), some already traveled to the country.

I feel for the folks at #AccessNow who have been working so hard on this for months.

https://www.facebook.com/100069038505521/posts/1285179577126647/

Now it's official: #RightsCon 2026 has been censored and cancelled by the government of #Zambia.

This is a loss for the global #DigitalRights community, a bigger one for #AccessNow, and maybe the biggest for #Zambia and the entire region, as future human rights events will think twice before setting foot there. 😪

What a needless waste.

Now it's official: #RightsCon 2026 has been censored and cancelled by the government of #Zambia.

This is a loss for the global #DigitalRights community, a bigger one for #AccessNow, and maybe the biggest for #Zambia and the entire region, as future human rights events will think twice before setting foot there. 😪

What a needless waste.

This is absolutely wild: The #Zambia government has just cancelled the world's most important digital rights conference #RightsCon 2026 which was supposed to start next week in #Lusaka. 3,000+ participants are now hanging in limbo (myself included), some already traveled to the country.

I feel for the folks at #AccessNow who have been working so hard on this for months.

https://www.facebook.com/100069038505521/posts/1285179577126647/

This is absolutely wild: The #Zambia government has just cancelled the world's most important digital rights conference #RightsCon 2026 which was supposed to start next week in #Lusaka. 3,000+ participants are now hanging in limbo (myself included), some already traveled to the country.

I feel for the folks at #AccessNow who have been working so hard on this for months.

https://www.facebook.com/100069038505521/posts/1285179577126647/

Well, fuck. #RightsCon

https://infosec.exchange/@josephcox/116489046392280018

This is absolutely wild: The #Zambia government has just cancelled the world's most important digital rights conference #RightsCon 2026 which was supposed to start next week in #Lusaka. 3,000+ participants are now hanging in limbo (myself included), some already traveled to the country.

I feel for the folks at #AccessNow who have been working so hard on this for months.

https://www.facebook.com/100069038505521/posts/1285179577126647/

It's 2026 and #RightsCon still doesn't have a #Fediverse or #Bluesky account. Kinda blows my mind.

This #rightscon session, in French, will bring together experts from the media, civil society, and government agencies to provide a space for discussion and explore threats to media freedom in Francophone Africa, while documenting and analyzing the resilience strategies put in place by local actors.