RightsCon cancellation draws CDT warning of wider fallout

The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) has criticised Access Now’s decision to cancel RightsCon, with CDT’s CEO describing the move as a “huge loss” for the global human-rights and digital-rights community. The statement, published by CDT, said the event’s absence will be felt beyond a single conference cycle because of the role RightsCon played in connecting diverse parts of the digital-rights ecosystem.

CDT framed RightsCon as an unusually broad international meeting place that brought together technologists, researchers, human-rights advocates, government officials and journalists. In its response, the Washington, DC-based nonprofit said the event stood out as a rare forum where different communities could meet directly and work through shared challenges tied to technology policy.

CDT says RightsCon amplified voices missing from policy talks The Center In its statement, CDT emphasised that RightsCon helped elevate perspectives from communities that are often excluded from policy discussions. CDT argued that the convening mattered not only for who attended, but for whose experiences could shape debates that later influence regulatory and political decisions. The organisation warned that losing RightsCon reduces opportunities for direct engagement between civil-society groups and policymakers. CDT said this kind of engagement is part of how policy arguments develop around issues such as privacy, speech and internet freedom, and that fewer shared spaces can narrow the routes through which evidence and lived experience reach decision-makers. Advocacy networks lose a coordination hub, CDT says Access Now organised RightsCon as an annual event that attracted participants from around the world, according to CDT’s response. CDT said the cancellation will reverberate across advocacy networks that used the meeting to share research, coordinate campaigns and advance policy proposals.

CDT also characterised the cancellation as a setback

CDT also characterised the cancellation as a setback for collaborative problem-solving on technology policy, describing RightsCon as a channel where practical coordination could happen alongside public discussion. The organisation said the event’s loss disrupts an established pathway that connected advocacy groups with policymakers and agencies based in Washington.

International convenings face funding, logistical and political strain CDT’s statement said the cancellation highlights the fragility of international convenings amid funding, logistical and political pressures. While CDT did not detail which pressures were decisive in this case, it argued that the broader risk is a shrinking set of venues that can consistently bring global communities together.

In response, CDT urged stakeholders to preserve pathways for the most affected communities to influence policy discussions. CDT also signalled that civil-society organisations will look for other ways to sustain engagement after RightsCon’s cancellation, though it did not specify what formats might replace the event.

What comes next for RightsCon and the broader ecosystem Access Now’s cancellation has prompted public reactions from partner organisations, including CDT. One open question is whether Access Now will announce a rescheduling plan or alternative format for RightsCon.

Separately, the gap left by RightsCon may prompt Washington-based policy groups and think tanks to consider local convenings, as stakeholders look for ways to maintain links between civil society and policymakers that CDT said the event helped support.

Implications

Country Impact: CDT said the cancellation disrupts a channel that connected advocacy groups with policymakers and agencies based in Washington. The organisation warned that fewer direct engagement opportunities could affect how debates over privacy, speech and internet freedom evolve.

Industry Impact: CDT described RightsCon as a hub that enabled collaboration among technologists, researchers, advocates, officials and journalists. The group said losing the event makes it harder for civil-society networks to share research and coordinate campaigns tied to technology policy.

Market Impact: The statement underscored what CDT called the fragility of international convenings amid funding, logistical and political pressures. CDT said stakeholders may need to pursue alternative avenues to sustain engagement, but specific replacements remain uncertain.