Civil society groups urge EU institutions to cut ties with surveillance industry conference
A coalition of digital rights and civil society organisations has called on EU institutions, governments, universities, and law enforcement agencies to withdraw support for the ISS World Europe conference, arguing that it promotes surveillance technologies linked to human rights abuses.
A group of European and international civil society organisations has issued a public statement calling on EU institutions, member state governments, public authorities, universities, and law enforcement agencies to refrain from participating in or supporting the ISS World Europe conference, held in Prague from 2 to 4 June 2026.
The organisations describe ISS World Europe as a closed industry event where government agencies and private companies discuss and market surveillance technologies, including spyware, data extraction tools, and monitoring systems. According to the statement, such technologies have been associated with the targeting of journalists, activists, political opponents, and civil society actors in multiple countries.
The coalition specifically criticises the participation of several companies linked to surveillance and military technologies. The statement highlights the role of the conference’s primary sponsor, NSO Group, developer of the Pegasus spyware platform. It also references the participation of companies including BAE Systems, Elbit Systems, Cellebrite, Cognyte, and CY4GATE.
The statement argues that participation by European public institutions and universities risks legitimising technologies that have been linked to human rights violations and unlawful surveillance. It also raises concerns about the broader surveillance technology market and the regulatory environment governing the sector.
Among the signatories are European Digital Rights, Access Now, the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia, and the SHARE Foundation, alongside other digital rights and civil society groups.
The organisations are calling on public authorities and other stakeholders to end partnerships, sponsorships, investments, and participation linked to ISS World Europe and its participants.
