Save the Date: SplinterCon @ RigthsCon
Lusaka, Zambia. May 5th, 2026

SplinterCon returns to host a 0-day event at RightsCon in Lusaka, Zambia. Join us at the conference venue on May 5th from 9 AM to 3 PM local time.

One Shutdown After Another: Control and Resilience in African Networks 

This edition will examine how the practices and technologies of network control are increasingly permeating African networks, and how this trend is shaping the evolution of digital control and episodic isolation across the continent.

The inaugural African SplinterCon brings together technologists, researchers, and practitioners to discuss the rising trend of shutdowns in the region, the commercialization of network control technologies supporting this trend, and the work taking place on the front lines to maintain communication and access to information under these evolving conditions.

Date: May 5, 2026
Location: Lusaka, Zambia
Participation: Requires a RightsCon 2026 ticket

Call for Proposals

We are still looking to fill a few speaking slots and invite you to submit a proposal on this thematic by filling out this form by March 28th, 2026. As always, we will be able to support the travel costs of speakers who require it.

• Internet shutdowns and network interference during elections and political crises
• Digital sovereignty, policy, and state control over connectivity
• Import of surveillance technologies and DPI systems
• Geopolitical influence on Africa’s internet infrastructure and governance
• Private cables, telecom operators, and corporate control of connectivity
• Resource extraction and the physical infrastructure of the internet
• Community resilience, local connectivity, and grassroots responses to shutdowns