Story perspectives

Council of Europe Schedules 2026 Strasbourg XR Rights Conference

5/20/2026

Summary

Story summary

Council of Europe will hold a conference in Strasbourg in May 2026 to examine immersive technologies’ impact on expression, children’s rights and justice.
Experts from Council, academia and industry will discuss privacy, due-process and freedom of association in surveillance and XR.
Organisers, media committee and research network, aim to feed the “New Democratic Pact for Europe” consultation and stress that tools should be proportionate as surveillance can intimidate journalists and minorities.

History

Historical Context

On 25 May 2018 the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation took effect, creating the European Data Protection Board to enforce uniform privacy rules and imposing fines up to €20 million or 4 % of revenue. That framework inspired the Council of Europe’s 2026 Strasbourg conference, where regulators and XR developers will examine how immersive surveillance challenges the same protections for journalists and minors.

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Story summary

Council of Europe will hold a conference in Strasbourg in May 2026 to examine immersive technologies’ impact on expression, children’s rights and justice.
Experts from Council, academia and industry will discuss privacy, due-process and freedom of association in surveillance and XR.
Organisers, media committee and research network, aim to feed the “New Democratic Pact for Europe” consultation and stress that tools should be proportionate as surveillance can intimidate journalists and minorities.

1 / 2