The Democracy Hackathon 2026 is now officially open for applications, offering innovators, developers, designers, democracy experts, and human rights advocates an exciting fully funded opportunity to travel to Strasbourg, France, and develop cutting-edge technology solutions to combat online hate speech and strengthen democratic values across Europe.

Organized by the Council of Europe under the New Democratic Pact for Europe and jointly with No Hate Speech Week, the hackathon aims to bring together some of the brightest minds in technology, democracy promotion, AI ethics, and human rights advocacy.

The prestigious event will take place from 17–19 June 2026 at the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg, France, under the auspices of the Monaco Presidency of the Committee of Ministers.

Selected teams will receive:

• An all-expenses-paid trip to Strasbourg
• Accommodation and travel support
• Expert mentoring
• Access to leading democracy and technology experts
• A chance to compete for a €50,000 Microsoft grant
• Post-event mentorship and implementation support

The application deadline is 5 June 2026.

About the Democracy Hackathon 2026

The Democracy Hackathon is more than a technology competition. It is a strategic initiative focused on defending democracy in the digital age.

As democratic systems worldwide face growing threats from:

• Online hate speech
• Disinformation
• Coordinated harassment
• Digital violence
• Polarization
• Malicious online behaviour

The Council of Europe is inviting multidisciplinary teams to create innovative, ethical, and human-rights-centered digital solutions capable of strengthening democratic resilience.

The event feeds directly into the Council of Europe’s broader political initiative called the New Democratic Pact for Europe, which seeks to address democratic backsliding and restore public trust in democratic institutions.

Why This Hackathon Matters

Digital platforms have become central to public debate and democratic participation. However, they have also become spaces where:

• Hate speech spreads rapidly
• Coordinated manipulation campaigns flourish
• Women and minority voices face targeted harassment
• Privacy risks increase
• Democratic conversations become increasingly toxic

The Democracy Hackathon seeks practical solutions that:

• Protect freedom of expression
• Preserve privacy rights
• Reduce online harm
• Empower institutions
• Promote democratic participation

Rather than focusing solely on content moderation, the hackathon encourages teams to rethink how technology can positively transform online communities and democratic engagement.

Key Benefits of Participating

Selected teams will receive exceptional opportunities and support.

1. Fully Funded Participation

The Council of Europe will provide:

• Full travel coverage
• Accommodation support
• Access to the live event in Strasbourg

This removes financial barriers and ensures broad participation.

2. Compete for a €50,000 Microsoft Grant

Winning teams will share a:

• €50,000 Microsoft grant

The grant is intended to support the further development and implementation of winning ideas and prototypes.

3. Mentorship From Leading Experts

Participants will receive guidance from experts affiliated with:

• Technical University of Munich
• University of Strasbourg
• Democracy Reporting International
• Institute for Strategic Dialogue

These mentors will support teams both before and after the hackathon.

4. Networking Opportunities

Participants will engage with:

• Researchers
• Civic tech experts
• Human rights advocates
• Policymakers
• AI specialists
• Democracy practitioners

This creates valuable opportunities for future collaborations and career growth.

5. Real-World Impact

The hackathon’s outcomes will directly contribute to:

• Democratic policy consultations
• Online safety strategies
• Human-rights-based digital governance

Participants will help shape future democratic tools and frameworks in Europe.

Theme: “Hack the Hate, Renew Democracy”

The central theme of the hackathon focuses on building democratic resilience through ethical technology.

Participants are expected to create solutions that:

• Detect harmful online behaviour
• Protect vulnerable communities
• Improve institutional responses
• Encourage healthier digital engagement
• Balance innovation with privacy and human rights

Core Thematic Goals

Projects should focus on one or more of the following objectives.

1. Data Privacy Protection

Teams are encouraged to:

• Develop tools that identify hate speech
• Preserve user privacy
• Prevent harmful re-identification
• Balance utility with data protection

2. Combating Hate Speech

Participants may create systems that:

• Detect coordinated harassment
• Identify harmful narratives
• Track cross-platform abuse patterns

3. Preventing Malicious Doxing

Solutions should ensure:

• Anonymous users remain protected
• Detection tools are not weaponized against vulnerable individuals

4. Policy and Institutional Support

Projects can help:

• Electoral commissions
• Policy actors
• Public institutions
• Trusted flaggers

Better detect, classify, and respond to harmful online behaviour.

5. Social Transformation

The hackathon strongly encourages:

• Intersectional approaches
• Inclusive design
• Community empowerment
• Educational interventions
• Positive digital engagement models

Democracy Hackathon Challenges

Participants must choose one of four official challenge tracks.

1. Privacy-Preserving Hate Speech Detection Challenge (PrivHSD)

Mentored by researchers from the Technical University of Munich.

Objective:

Build hate speech detection systems that:

• Maintain strong privacy protections
• Operate independently of user identity
• Avoid harmful surveillance outcomes

Expected Outputs:

• Prototype
• Demonstrable concept
• Research note
• Privacy-preserving architecture

2. Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour Identification

Mentored by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.

Objective:

Create tools capable of:

• Detecting coordinated online campaigns
• Tracking hate narratives across platforms
• Identifying gendered harassment campaigns

Potential Deliverables:

• Monitoring dashboard
• Narrative clustering systems
• Visualized analytical tools

3. Reporting and Response Systems for Online Hate

Mentored by Democracy Reporting International.

Objective:

Develop systems that:

• Transform online reports into structured evidence
• Support electoral commissions
• Improve referral and escalation pathways

Expected Outputs:

• MVPs
• Wireframes
• Referral systems
• Classification frameworks

4. Think Out of the Box Challenge

Mentored by the University of Strasbourg.

Objective:

Create transformative approaches that:

• Prevent hate speech
• Contextualize harmful content
• Promote empathy and dialogue
• Empower communities

Potential Solutions:

• Educational tools
• Social impact platforms
• Policy frameworks
• Moderation interfaces
• Creative interventions

Who Should Apply?

The hackathon is designed for multidisciplinary teams of 3–4 members.

Ideal teams should include:

1. Technologist / Backend Developer

Responsible for:

• AI systems
• NLP tools
• Detection algorithms
• Technical implementation

2. Democracy or Policy Expert

Responsible for:

• Human rights alignment
• Democratic frameworks
• Governance insights
• Ethical guidance

3. Designer / UX/UI Innovator

Responsible for:

• User experience
• Interface design
• Accessibility
• Visualization

Teams may also add a fourth member if needed.

Gender balance within teams is strongly encouraged.

How to Apply

Step 1: Form a Team

Applicants must create a team of:

• 3–4 members
• Diverse skill backgrounds

Step 2: Submit a Concept Summary

Teams must prepare a concept summary of no more than two pages.

The proposal should include:

• Problem statement
• Proposed solution
• Human rights considerations
• Technical overview
• Expected impact
• User experience strategy

Step 3: Selection and Warm-Up Session

Selected teams will:

• Join a virtual preparation session
• Refine their ideas with mentors
• Prepare for the live Strasbourg event

Apply: Click Here to learn more and apply.

Important Dates

Application Deadline:

5 June 2026

Event Dates:

17–19 June 2026

Location:

Palais de l’Europe, Strasbourg, France

What Makes This Opportunity Unique?

Unlike traditional hackathons focused only on coding, the Democracy Hackathon combines:

• Technology
• Human rights
• Democracy
• Ethics
• Public policy
• Social innovation

Participants are not just building apps — they are designing tools that could influence the future of democratic governance and digital safety across Europe.

This hackathon offers a rare opportunity to:

• Collaborate internationally
• Engage with policymakers
• Receive expert mentorship
• Build impactful civic technology
• Gain visibility in the democracy and human-rights space

For young innovators passionate about democracy, AI ethics, digital rights, and social impact, this is one of the most meaningful technology competitions of 2026.

Discover more competition opportunities on OFY, VISIT HERE