Zambia cancels world’s largest human rights and tech summit days before start

The world’s largest conference on human rights and technology has been cancelled just days before it was due to start after the Zambian government told organisers it did not align with “national values”. Zambia’s government had originally welcomed the RightsCon 2026 summit on “human rights in the digital age”, due to be held in the capital, Lusaka, on 5-8 May, but Thabo Kawana, permanent secretary for the Ministry of Information & Media, said last week that the conference would not go ahead to allow time to ensure the gathering “aligns with Zambia’s national values, policy priorities, and broader public interest considerations”. More than 2,600 activists, technologists, academics and policymakers were expected to begin arriving in Lusaka over the weekend. The event was to address issues of human rights in the digital age, including online hate , internet shutdowns, AI, surveillance, the militarisation of tech and disinformation at a time when democratic, women’s and LGBTQ+ rights are under intense assault. The cancellation ‘dents the image of our country’, said Linda Kasonde, a Zambian lawyer Rights campaigners have called the decision a blatant act of censorship and part of a broader pattern of suppression of legitimate debate. Zambian news reports have suggested pressure from China could be behind the surprise move – several Taiwanese delegates had been due to attend and the conference was being held in a venue donated by China . …