RightsCon 2026, described as the world’s largest digital rights conference, was canceled this year after the Zambian government postponed the event to an unspecified date about a week before it was due to take place in Lusaka [1].
Access Now said it was informed that diplomats from the People’s Republic of China were pressuring Zambia because Taiwanese civil society participants planned to attend the conference in person [1]. Representatives of Access Now said they were also told informally from multiple sources that continuing RightsCon would require moderating discussions on certain topics and excluding some at-risk communities, including the Taiwanese, from both physical and online participation [1].
Access Now stated multiple pieces of information indicated foreign interference by the Chinese government played a role in the abrupt disruption of the summit [1]. On April 27, Access Now said it became aware that in-person participation by people from Taiwan had drawn the attention of the Chinese government [1].
Zambia’s Minister of Technology and Science, Felix Mutati, said on April 28 that certain speakers and participants remained subject to pending administrative and security clearances [1]. He said, "speakers and participants remain subject to pending administrative and security clearances" [1]. The following day, Thabo Kawana, Zambia’s Minister for Information and Media, said the postponement was needed "by the need for comprehensive disclosure of critical information relating to key thematic issues proposed for discussion during the Summit" [1].
Organizers and officials have not announced a new date for the conference as of this report.
