Quick Take

A Dispatch from RightsCon: The State of Human Rights in the Digital Age

March 3, 2025

As the world’s largest annual summit exploring the intersection of technology and human rights, RightsCon offers a snapshot of the global human rights advocacy community and serves as a barometer for emerging priorities in the field. Held in Taipei this year, the conference spanned a characteristically wide range of topics, from the impact of internet shutdowns in conflict zones to efforts at leveraging technology for electoral integrity. There were more than 400 panel sessions, as well as side events, civil society booths, and lightning talks.

Some sessions spotlighted government-perpetrated human rights violations, including the use of advanced surveillance tools and censorship laws to silence opposition. Others addressed the harms arising from technology itself — such as discriminatory outcomes from inadequately trained AI models. While some discussions centered on defining these problems and elevating grassroots activists’ voices, others focused on exploring solutions and charting a way forward.

Here are four of my main takeaways:

Civil society organizations around the world are bracing for severe funding cuts. While the impressive turnout at RightsCon underscores how vibrant and diverse this advocacy community has become, nearly every conversation reflected grave concerns about long-term viability amid the crises afflicting major funding sources such as USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy. International institutions like the OSCE and UNICEF — which also support civil society — may face similar existential challenges in the near future. In response, participants expressed urgency about the need to seek new funding streams, pool resources, and minimize duplication. Although some budget pressure can foster greater resourcefulness, the depth of current and impending cuts could be a death knell for many organizations. This impending crisis has significant implications for the balance of power among governments, the private sector, and civil society.

Opinions seemed divided on the significance of digital platform regulation. Unlike in past years, regulation took center stage at this year’s RightsCon. Many participants were especially concerned with whether and how governments would enforce instruments such as the EU’s Digital Services Act and the UK’s Online Safety Act in a shifting geopolitical landscape. In some sessions, regulation — though clearly relevant — went unmentioned. In others, participants voiced strong opposition, describing regulation as being “packaged as protection but actually serving as a tool of control.” These divergent perspectives are unsurprising given the wide range of digital regulations and bodies responsible for their enforcement.

Civil society is furious at Big Tech. Participants openly denounced tech leaders for what they saw as an opportunistic alliance with the Trump administration. In some instances, the criticism was so sweeping and hyperbolic that it risked alienating the entire private sector. Other critiques, however, were more targeted and measured, leaving space for sympathetic company representatives to remain engaged and leverage their influence to counter misguided changes at the highest levels.

When it came to concrete visions for the future, participants had more questions than answers. A recurring question at RightsCon was: What kind of world are we trying to build? In a session on children’s well-being online, one of the panelists pointed out that we still don’t have a concrete idea of what a “safe” online environment looks like and how we can measure progress towards that goal. Meanwhile, in a session about threats posed by right-wing populism, another panelist stressed the need for “a salient version of the future to sell.” His remark was a sobering reminder that the human rights community must work harder to make its vision resonate with the public — otherwise, we risk losing further ground to right-wing populist movements whose message, however simplistic or misguided, continues to attract many.