This year RightsCon, the flagship summit on human rights in the digital age, takes place from 6 June to 10 June.
RightsCon brings together human rights experts, tech companies, government representatives and activists to discuss how we can build a rights-respecting digital future.
Amnesty International colleagues are taking part throughout the week (all times CEST):
Monday 6 June 8:30pm – 9:30pm
The digitisation of the welfare state: a systemic threat of human rights
This talk looks at the risks inherent in algorithmic decision-making era of the digital welfare state and the grave consequences this could have for a range of economic and social rights
With Damini Satija Head of Algorithmic Accountability Lab, Deputy Director Amnesty Tech
Tuesday 7 June 2:15pm- 3:15pm
Health Check: Current Trends in Digital Healthcare
What are the potential benefits and risks related to advances in digital healthcare and how people’s human rights can be protected while harnessing the potential benefits of digitisation?
With Damini Satija Head of Algorithmic Accountability Lab, Deputy Director at Amnesty Tech
Tuesday 7 June 4:45pm – 5:45pm
Cyber mercenaries on the loose! What can we do to stop them?
What can be done to address the growing industry of companies that develop and sell tools, techniques and services that enable their clients, often governments, to break into networks, computers, phones and internet-connected devices? Cyber mercenaries are motivated by financial gain and too often many of their clients care little about human rights.
With Danna Ingleton, Deputy Program Director at Amnesty Tech
Wednesday 8 June 2:45pm – 3:45pm
Using tech tools to document environmental crimes: activists’ and lawyers’ perspectives
This session looks at how tech tools can best be used to document evidence of environmental crimes to pave the way for successful civil and criminal liability claims.
With Montse Ferrer, Legal Advisor, Amnesty International
Wednesday 8 June 2:45pm – 3:45pm
The double face of digital health: Research in Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam
This session focuses on the urgent need to strengthen rights-based governance of digital spaces for health, with youth voices at the centre of design and governance.
With Rajat Khosla, Senior Director Research, Advocacy and Policy at Amnesty International
Wednesday 8 June 9:15pm – 10:15pm
Surveillance and the city: mapping cameras with facial recognition capabilities in New York City
S.T.O.P. and Amnesty International will discuss New York City’s sprawling network of surveillance cameras with facial recognition technology, using publicly available data from Amnesty’s Decode NYC Surveillance project and S.T.O.P.’s 2021 Surveillance Census.
With Sophie Dyer, Tactical Research Advisor Crisis Evidence Lab and Matt Mahmoudi, AI and Big Data Researcher
Wednesday 8 June 9:15pm – 10:15pm
Just decentralization: fighting for a future of many internets
A discussion with activists & technologists who are engaging around emerging technologies including blockchain, next gen peer-to-peer projects, and beyond.
With Michael Kleinman, Director Silicon Valley Initiative
Friday 10 June 8:15am – 9:15am
The role of grassroots movements in shaping digital policies
This session will explore the generational potential that grassroots movements, small civic society organizations, and individual activists/human rights defenders have towards strengthening inclusive, democratic, and better digital rights policies that would ensure the internet works for Africa and not against Africa.
With Victor Ndede, Digital Rights and Policy, Amnesty International Kenya
Friday 10 June 11:00am – 12:00pm
Looking for traces of Pegasus on an iPhone with the Mobile Verification Toolkit
During the Pegasus Project, Amnesty International developed a novel forensic research methodology and an accompanying tool (the Mobile Verification Toolkit (MVT)) to look for traces of Pegasus infection or attack on smartphones. This demo will focus on showing the methodology used by MVT to confirm Pegasus targeting and infection. It will also explain how Amnesty Tech can support civil society partners with such investigations and help connect with MVT users.
With Etienne Maynier, Technologist, Amnesty International’s Security Lab
Friday 10 June 2:00pm-3:00pm
The Pegasus Project: A Global Scandal One Year On
In July 2021, Forbidden Stories along with 17 media outlets around the world and the technical support of Amnesty International exposed a global scandal involving spyware vendor NSO Group and at least 11 client states. One year on however, what has happened? This panel will journey from the investigation that led to the Project; to the first-hand experience of an activist seeking justice; to how and why we have failed to get state accountability; to the path forward for radical change and an end to these human rights abuses.
With Agnès Callamard, Secretary General, Amnesty International