EncryptFest 2026
We are excited to announce EncryptFest, a global encryption and privacy-focused event on Sunday, October 25, 2026 from 13:00–15:00 Eastern Daylight Time (17:00–19:00 UTC). Please register!
This gratis event is divided into two parts. First, there will be a discussion on bulk surveillance, and how encryption protects personal privacy. The event, introduced by Free Software Foundation executive director Zoë Kooyman, will include a discussion featuring an expert on the topics, as well as a video from renowned cryptographer Bruce Schneier. Second, as a concrete step to enhance your data privacy, EncryptFest will include a hands-on workshop on how you can encrypt your email using the FSF’s Email Self-Defense guide.
Mark your calendars for the FSF’s EncryptFest on Sunday, October 25, 2026 from 13:00–15:00 EDT (17:00–19:00 UTC). You can attend this event at no cost.
You may join us virtually, or if you are in Boston, Massachusetts, United States (the FSF’s home base), you can join us in-person at the Boston Public Library’s Copley Square branch. You may also join us in-person at the Yale Privacy Lab in New Haven, Connecticut, US, and meet our deputy director Sean O’Brien.
Whether attending our event online or in-person, please register. It will help us plan ahead and enable us to contact you about other important details before the workshop, like what to expect and what to bring. So go ahead and register for EncryptFest, get excited, and tell others, too!
As mentioned, EncryptFest features a gratis, hands-on workshop facilitated by the FSF where participants will learn to use GNU Privacy Guard (GPG) for email encryption. By the end of the workshop, you will not only be able to send encrypted email to friends and family, but also help us help you teach others the importance and skill of email self-defense and protecting yourself from bulk surveillance.
Bulk surveillance violates our fundamental rights and makes free speech dangerous. Email encryption is an excellent tool you can use to shield yourself from bulk surveillance. Encrypting your email is also a concrete step towards protecting your data from others whose intentions may not be honorable. All you need is a computer and an email account. We will have knowledgeable staff and volunteers to help walk you through each stage of the email encryption process. We encourage participants to install Icedove (which is a fork from Thunderbird) as their email client prior to participating if they are running GNU/Linux.
We are also looking for knowledgeable volunteers to help other attendees, both in-person and online. If you’ve used the ESD guide yourself to encrypt your email or are proficient with GPG and want to help others use it, please let us know. Simply send an email to campaigns@fsf.org with a subject line that reads “EncryptFest volunteer” and we will get in touch. We will be very grateful for your help! If you are interested in sponsoring this event in part or in full, please also let us know.
We hope to see you in-person or online. Together, let’s actively protect each others’ freedoms by learning more about encryption and protecting our privacy, including by encrypting our emails.
“EncryptFest image” © 2026 by the Free Software Foundation. This image is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
