On December 10th and 11th, 2025, cities, organizations, and digital rights advocates from around the world. They are gathered for the second edition of the International Digital Rights Days (IDRD)—a global initiative built on a foundational principle: digital rights are human rights.

A global celebration of digital rights

The 2025 edition brought together dozens of cities and partner organizations. From Europe to the Americas, local governments and civil society united to promote and defend human rights in digital environments through dozens of activities, campaigns, and events. The initiative affirmed a shared commitment to defend human rights in the digital age, bringing visibility to the important work being done at the local level to ensure technology serves people rather than the other way around.

The timing is deliberate: December 10th coincides with International Human Rights Day, drawing a direct connection between traditional human rights and their digital equivalents. Digital rights encompass the protection of privacy, freedom of expression, and the right to access information online.

They ensure that individuals can engage with digital platforms, participate in online communities, and share content freely and safely—without facing undue censorship, surveillance, or discrimination. They help bridge the digital divide, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of socioeconomic status, have access to digital technologies and the internet. They also enhance the protection of marginalized groups from data profiling, unwarranted policing, biased technologies, and online violations of human rights. They promote a safer online environment by enforcing laws and standards that protect users from cyber threats, harassment, and exploitation. And crucially, they ensure that people can participate in online democratic processes and have a say in the digital transformation currently at work all over the world.

In the face of these smart technologies, which are collecting increasing amounts of data about residents, Cities are working to protect these rights and maintain public trust.

Webinars, conferences, festivals, exhibitions… here is a sample of how cities celebrated IDRD

Cities participating in the 2025 edition showcased innovative and creative approaches to digital rights—from interactive exhibitions to youth-centered artistic performances to hands-on data literacy festivals. These diverse and creative formats demonstrate that digital rights advocacy can take many forms, reaching different communities and audiences in meaningful and engaging ways.

Helsinki, Finland: Promoting Digital Rights in City Services

The City of Helsinki hosted a webinar for city staff focused on promoting residents' digital rights through service development. Recognizing that privacy protection, data availability and accessibility, equality and inclusion, non-discrimination, network security, and democracy and participation are the cornerstones of digital rights, the event explored how cities can embed these principles into everyday public services. Participants examined two key questions: how can providing services proactively promote equality, and what factors need to be considered in service development to ensure accessibility for different groups of people?

Leipzig, Germany: "Digital Rights for All" Exhibition

Leipzig hosted the exhibition "Digital Rights for All", exploring key themes surrounding digital inclusion and participation. Visitors discovered topics including sustainable hardware and the role of tech ambassadors in bridging the digital divide, as well as local solutions such as the Leipzig App. The event offered opportunities to engage directly with staff from the city's Smart City Unit.

The Hague, Netherlands: Creative Culture Connection Challenge

The Hague organized a Connection Challenge at Theater Laak in collaboration with the Hague HipHop Center. Through the Creative Culture Connection initiative, young people showcased their digital lives through music, spoken word, rap, and visual art—demonstrating that digital rights conversations can be dynamic, inclusive, and culturally relevant.

Bordeaux Métropole, France: DATA PARTY Festival and AGINUM conference

Bordeaux Métropole supported the "DATA PARTY", organized by local not-for-profit Les Petits débrouillards. This data festival helped participants understand, work with, and play around data and algorithms—demystifying the digital systems that shape our lives and building digital literacy from the ground up. The Métropole also added AGINUM, its annual event dedicated to spreading a shared digital culture, to the IDRD25 program.

Looking Forward

As cities grapple with the ethical challenges of advancing technology—from AI systems making decisions that affect residents' lives, to questions about data collection and surveillance, to the persistent digital divide—the International Digital Rights Days is a moment for reflection and action.

The diversity of this year's events reflected the multifaceted nature of digital rights themselves. In Leipzig's exhibition on sustainable hardware and tech ambassadors, we saw attention to environmental justice and community-based solutions. In The Hague's youth-led artistic performances, we saw recognition that digital rights must speak to the lived experiences of young people. In Bordeaux's DATA PARTY, we saw the importance of making data literacy accessible and engaging for all.

Together, these initiatives embody a shared commitment: ensuring that digital technologies enhance quality of life for all people, creating more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient communities where human rights are protected—online and offline. The events demonstrated that when cities lead, meaningful change happens at the local level—change that can inspire and inform action on a global scale.

As the closest democratic institutions to communities, cities are uniquely positioned to promote and defend the digital rights of their residents. They are at the frontline when social crises, cultural changes, and technological shifts occur. They are involved and active when it comes to tackling the consequences of digital transformation, addressing both its challenges and its opportunities. By coming together across borders and continents through events like the International Digital Rights Days, cities are proving that local action can drive global change.

The next edition of the International Digital Rights Days will take place on December 10th and 11th, 2026. Cities, civil society organizations, companies, and individuals interested in joining the movement and being part of this global celebration can contact the Cities Coalition for Digital Rights at endorse@citiesfordigitalrights.org.

The 2025 edition was coordinated by the cities of Bordeaux Métropole, Helsinki and Porto.

For more information, visit internationaldigitalrightsdays.com.