December 8-10, 2025
For guests
Everyone interested in attending SplinterCon Paris as a guest should apply through the form below. Due to limited capacity and ambition to keep the meeting focused and productive, we carefully review all applications, and will invite participants via manual confirmation.
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For guests
SplinterCon is built from your presentations. We invite talks, demos, panels and project ideas from individuals and organisations working on topics related to technologies and strategies for communicating with and within isolated digital networks, as well as research and case studies that explore the impacts and methods of network shutdowns and fragmentation. Our goal is an open and interdisciplinary dialogue, welcoming a variety of submissions, including research papers, policy analysis, testimonies and hands-on workshops.
Thematic Focus
Policy & Governance
How to balance protectionism without splintering our digital commons? Do ambitions for sovereignty create the groundwork for isolation?
The European Union’s push for digital sovereignty is both a regulatory and technical imperative, also driven by an ambition for independence from American and Chinese domination of cyberspace. In juxtaposition, Russia and Iran lead their own initiatives to create sovereign networks, purportedly focused on national security, social stability, and disconnection from the global web. What is similar or distinct between these various efforts, do they buttress or undermine each other? A growing number of states including Australia, Brazil, Canada, India and South Africa, to name some, are also considering their own digital sovereignty strategies, focused on national security and social stability, as well as economic protectionism to bolster domestic industries. Which framework should they look and aspire to?
There is no clear definition or consistent policy when it comes to digital sovereignty. SplinterCon Paris will examine what it means for Europe to have an autonomous, cohesive digital infrastructure. How can the EU protect and control its own digital future while avoiding pitfalls such as national fragmentation or user lock-in? We will explore concrete technological paths that move beyond theoretical regulation and look at pragmatic solutions to achieve sovereignty while keeping digital networks open, interoperable, and secure.
Innovation & Technology
As the internet becomes more compartmentalized and monopolized, federation and decentralization offer promising alternatives for preserving digital freedoms, privacy, and self-determination. Our event will investigate and showcase self-hosted, federated and decentralized communication solutions – in production, in development or conceptual. SplinterCon’s continued focus on communications with and within isolated networks encompasses wireless connectivity solutions, network measurement techniques, and innovative censorship evasion methods, such as mimicry, tunnelling and protocol obfuscation, among others. We are keen to see privacy enhancing technologies that matter inside isolated networks, including solutions for hosting and content distribution. An ecosystem of solutions is required for the Splinternet – put yours forward for the Technology Showcase!
On a more techno-philosophic slant, we’re interested in hearing your thoughts and ideas on how digital decentralization can also ensure privacy, integrity and usability in digital spaces. How can we foster a more equal and equitable decentralized digital ecosystem? How to learn from history and our own mistakes.
Submission Categories
- Research Papers: Research papers should explore new ideas, provide empirical data, or present theoretical contributions. We accept the following types of research submissions:
- Policy papers: Submissions that focus on policy issues, offering detailed analysis and recommendations. These papers should engage with current debates on Internet governance, socio-technical challenges, or digital sovereignty, and propose actionable policy solutions.
- Works in progress:Research or projects still under development. These submissions should demonstrate clear goals, hypotheses, and potential for future contributions, even if conclusive results are not yet available.
- Position papers:Opinion pieces or argumentative submissions that advocate for specific viewpoints or propose innovative solutions. Position papers should be provocative, well-reasoned, and designed to stimulate discussion and debate.
- Technology Showcases:Interactive sessions that demonstrate working technologies or prototypes. These should showcase innovative solutions related to the conference themes and allow participants to engage directly with the technology.
- Testimonies and Case Studies: We encourage submissions that highlight real-world experiences, particularly from regions or communities impacted by digital isolation or network shutdowns:
- Testimonies from Countries Affected by Network Shutdowns and Isolation:First-hand accounts or case studies from individuals, organizations, or communities impacted by network shutdowns or digital isolation. These submissions should offer valuable on-the-ground perspectives that highlight the human, political, or technical dimensions of these crises.
- Awareness-Raising and Capacity-Building Workshops:Practical workshops aimed at building skills or raising awareness around the conference’s core themes. Workshops should offer clear learning outcomes and be designed to increase participants’ understanding or capabilities in relevant areas.
Presentation Formats:
When submitting your paper, please indicate the format in which you plan to present:
Technology Showcases (30 minutes):Hands-on, interactive demonstrations of innovative technologies or prototypes. These sessions are designed to allow participants to engage directly with the technology in an open marketplace format.
Lightning Talks (15 minutes): Short, focused presentations that provide key insights or findings in a concise format. Ideal for sharing emerging ideas, theories, or initial results.
Full Presentations (30 minutes): More detailed explorations of research, case studies, or technologies. These presentations should provide deeper analysis and more comprehensive coverage of the subject matter.
Application Process
Ensure that your submission aligns with one of the categories listed above and fits within the thematic focus of the conference. Submissions will be evaluated based on relevance, originality, technical quality, and potential social or technical impact by the Advisory Council.
We look forward to receiving your applications and working together to address the challenges of Internet fragmentation.