Now in its fourth edition, the Data Privacy Global Conference (DPGC) has established itself as one of the main forums to bridge the Global South and North when it comes to digital policies. Over two full days of immersive sessions in the city of São Paulo (Brazil), the conference brings together leading professionals, researchers, and decision-makers to tackle frontier challenges, ranging from AI regulation and media impacts to digital infrastructure and geopolitics. With a firm commitment to amplifying perspectives from the Global South, DPGC offers a trusted space where diverse voices collaborate to build more just and human-centered technological futures.
Since 2022, its reputation for thought leadership and meaningful connections in the field of digital rights continues to grow. Past editions have drawn more than 900 participants, including 150 speakers and more than 50 sponsors. As a global stage, DPGC has featured prominent international speakers and institutional partners, including names such as Ana Brian (UN Privacy Rapporteur), Tommaso Valletti (Imperial College London), Sandeep Vaheesan (Open Market Institute), Gabriela Zanfir-Fortuna (Future of Privacy Forum), Isabelle Vereecken (EDPB), Miriam Wimmer (Brazilian National Data Protection Authority – ANPD), Hossein Nowbar (Microsoft), Anita Gurumurthy (IT For Change), Diego Canabarro (Meta), Prof. Anita Allen (University of Pennsylvania), Jan Philipp Albrecht (Boll Foundation), Vinay Narayan (Aapti Institute), and Gbenga Sesan (Paradigm Initiative). In 2025, the conference brings a new format, with thematic workshops, extended opportunities for interaction, and an environment for high-quality networking.
Also, since its first edition, the DPGC has served as a meeting point for Global South activists, including providing financial support to bring members of the Global South Alliance (GSA) to the event in São Paulo. It was in 2022, during the Conference, that the Alliance was born, bringing together representatives from 13 Global South civil organizations. Several of them are constantly part of DPGC panels and debates, enriching the discussions and fostering South-South cooperation. In 2023, the GSA announced its Digital Library and the Datafication and Democracy Fund.
In this year’s edition, the program features an open workshop on digital sovereignty and geopolitics, analyzing specific cases from different regions around the world. The session will be facilitated by Global South Alliance members from countries such as India, Pakistan, Bolivia, Brazil, The Gambia, and Uganda, who, together with the audience, will address cases from these regions according to parameters such as data, digital infrastructure, governance, and independence.
The goal of the workshop organized by the Global South Alliance is to present diverse realities alongside a critical perspective on how potential technological solutions are being implemented in the Global South and the main challenges they face within a complex geopolitical landscape. The Global South Alliance expanded to 26 organizations in 2025, and the DPGC is an opportunity for a first engagement with some of these new members.
The workshop “Geopolitics and Technological Sovereignty” will take place on Monday, December 8th 2025, from 4 pm to 5:30 pm at Room number 2 of ESPM. The workshop will be conducted by Jaqueline Pigatto (Data Privacy Brasil), Gbenga Sésan (Paradigm Initiative) and Vinay Narayan (Aapti Institute).
The fourth edition of DPGC will happen in São Paulo, on December 8th and 9th, at the Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing – ESPM. More information can be found at the official website.
