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Democracy Hackathon 2026 in Strasbourg, France | Fully Funded Opportunity to Build Tech Solutions Against Online Hate

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Democracy Hackathon 2026 in Strasbourg, France | Fully Funded Opportunity to Build Tech Solutions Against Online Hate
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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:

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:

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:

The Democracy Hackathon seeks practical solutions that:

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:

This removes financial barriers and ensures broad participation.

2. Compete for a €50,000 Microsoft Grant

Winning teams will share a:

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:

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

4. Networking Opportunities

Participants will engage with:

This creates valuable opportunities for future collaborations and career growth.

5. Real-World Impact

The hackathon’s outcomes will directly contribute to:

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:

Core Thematic Goals

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

1. Data Privacy Protection

Teams are encouraged to:

2. Combating Hate Speech

Participants may create systems that:

3. Preventing Malicious Doxing

Solutions should ensure:

4. Policy and Institutional Support

Projects can help:

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

5. Social Transformation

The hackathon strongly encourages:

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:

Expected Outputs:

2. Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour Identification

Mentored by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.

Objective:

Create tools capable of:

Potential Deliverables:

3. Reporting and Response Systems for Online Hate

Mentored by Democracy Reporting International.

Objective:

Develop systems that:

Expected Outputs:

4. Think Out of the Box Challenge

Mentored by the University of Strasbourg.

Objective:

Create transformative approaches that:

Potential Solutions:

Who Should Apply?

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

Ideal teams should include:

1. Technologist / Backend Developer

Responsible for:

2. Democracy or Policy Expert

Responsible for:

3. Designer / UX/UI Innovator

Responsible for:

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:

Step 2: Submit a Concept Summary

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

The proposal should include:

Step 3: Selection and Warm-Up Session

Selected teams will:

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:

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:

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

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