Join us for the Digital Rights Lounge – powered by Privacy Camp
Digital technologies increasingly shape how LGBTIQ+ people express themselves, organise politically and access services. Yet these same technologies can expose communities to discrimination, profiling, surveillance and exclusion. This edition of the Digital Rights Lounge explores the intersection between digital rights and LGBTIQ+ rights, bringing together activists, researchers and policymakers to discuss how digital infrastructures affect queer lives and what can be done to effectively protect rights in the digital age.
Logistics
- When: 19 May 2026, 13:00-16:30
- Location: BeCentral, Cantersteen 12, Brussels (Belgium)
| Time | Title | Description |
| 13:00-13:30 | Arrival | Grab lunch, a drink and coffee with organisers and attendees. |
| 13:30-13:45 | Welcome to Digital Rights Lounge | EDRi, Bristol Centre for Global Law and Innovation, LSTS and Privacy Salon are delighted to welcome you to the Digital Rights Lounge – Powered by Privacy Camp. |
| 13:45-14:30 | Stories of LGBTIQ+ Advocacy in the Digital Space: Mousse and the emerging litigation on LGBTIQ+ rights in Europe Etienne Deshoulieres Arpi Avetisyan | In this fireside chat, two leading advocates will reflect on their experiences with current and past litigation, sharing lessons learned from bringing cases against powerful actors. The session looks at how litigation can support broader advocacy strategies, and what challenges arise when using the law to advance digital rights and the rights of LGBTIQ+ people. |
| 14:30-14:45 | Coffee break | |
| 14:45-16:15 | Interactive Session: Possibilities, Pitfalls and Potential Unknowns: The New Frontiers of LGBTIQ+ Rights in the Digital Age Numerous presenters, including: * Felix Bieker * Masuma Shahid * Marie-Helene Ludwig | During this interactive session, participants will have the opportunity to engage with the intersections of digital rights and LGBTIQ+ identities from numerous different perspectives. Through a series of bespoke activities, you will learn about emerging research on LGBTIQ+ experiences in the digital space, have the opportunity to engage with leading activists in the field, discuss complex questions about the role of law and human rights, and be encouraged to share examples of good practice. The session will emphasise diverse forms of participation, and you will be invited to engage in both active learning and knowledge exchange. In addition to hearing from expert researchers and leading advocates through short presentations, you will also participate in smaller discussion sessions and will have the opportunity to share experiences with fellow participants. Our aim is that, by the end of the session, participants will begin to understand the many, complex ways in which digital advancements both promise, and potentially threaten, the rights of LGBTIQ+ people in Europe. |
| 16:15-16:30 | What next for LGBTIQ+ rights in the Digital Age? Looking to the Future! | Building on the discussions throughout the afternoon, this closing session brings participants together to reflect on key takeaways and identify concrete next steps. The focus will be on how litigation can be used more strategically to challenge harmful digital practices, strengthen rights, and support collective action across movements. |
The 2nd edition of the Digital Rights Lounge is co-organised by the Law, Science, Technology and Society (LSTS) Research Group of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), EDRi, the Bristol Centre for Global Law and Innovation and Privacy Salon. The event is funded through UK Research and Innovation Grant No. MR/W011654/1.