The Annual Human Rights Conference at Swissôtel Tallinn once again brought together voices that challenge, question, and confront today’s most pressing societal issues. Rather than offering comfort, this year’s theme – Dystopian Society – encouraged participants to reflect deeply on the direction we’re headed and who we are taking along for the ride.
Proud Engineers’ digital governance expert Hille Hinsberg took part in a panel titled Dystopia of Censorship: Is the Internet a Right or a Privilege? The session explored the complex relationship between digital technologies, individual freedoms, and state control.
The panel featured a diverse group of experts:
• Zuhra Halimova, Strategic Advisor at Women in Digital Transformation (WinDt LLC) and Senior Advisor at CAPS Unlock, Tajikistan
• Patricia Shaw, CEO of Beyond Reach Consulting, United Kingdom
• Hille Hinsberg, Open Governance Expert and Consultant at Proud Engineers, Estonia
• Konstantinos Komaitis, PhD, Digital Forensics Research Lab (DFRLab), Atlantic Council, Switzerland
• Moderator: Maarja Kask, Diplomat and Coordinator of Estonia’s Internet Freedom Coalition Presidency
The discussion addressed a range of digital rights challenges from privacy violations and surveillance to misinformation and state control. The panelists emphasized the need to protect democratic values while navigating the risks posed by evolving technologies.
Hille highlighted how the internet’s role in democracy is increasingly shaped by both national regulation and the private policies of global digital platforms. She pointed out that billions of users face restrictions on what they can access and share, whether through blocked websites, data collection practices, or growing government influence over digital infrastructure.
We are proud to see our team contributing to conversations that go beyond technology and into the heart of what it means to be a free and informed society in the digital age.