As part of the Global Digital Empowerment Network (GDEN), the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) actively contributed to RightsCon 2025 in Taipei—one of the world’s foremost summits on human rights in the digital age. Supported by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and A-CODE, DEF brought grassroots perspectives from South Asia into global conversations on internet governance, misinformation, AI ethics, and digital inclusion.
DEF’s participation underscored the role of community networks, critical digital literacy, and ethical tech in advancing inclusive digital rights. Through panel contributions, case studies from rural India, and strategic roundtables, DEF emphasised that technology must centre equity, access, and accountability. From conversations on misinformation and reproductive health, to discussions on encrypted platforms and community-driven connectivity, DEF amplified the concerns and innovations from the last mile.
Notably, DEF’s Nahid Jubair and Akanksha Ahluwalia addressed how inaccessible digital platforms marginalise new users, calling for collaboration with tech companies to build respectful, privacy-conscious ecosystems. DEF’s presence reaffirmed GDEN’s vision: ensuring that policies, platforms, and digital futures are shaped not only by institutions but by communities themselves—especially those historically excluded from the digital realm.
Read the full report at: https://www.defindia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/RIghtsCon-2025-report-4-1-2.pdf
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