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Registrations are now open for Hack the Hate, Renew Democracy!, the second edition of the Hackathon of the Council of Europe taking place in Strasbourg from 17 to 19 June 2026. Interdisciplinary teams will be selected to co-create practical, technology-driven solutions to combat hate speech in online spaces. Registrations are open until 5 June 2026.  

Hate speech silences people. It curbs participation, erodes social cohesion and poses a direct threat to democracy. 

The event is held as a key milestone of the consultation under the  New Democratic Pact for Europe to gather innovative solutions to strengthen the foundations of democracy, renew its forms and to make its benefits more tangible for all.  

Academic involvement in the hackathon

Held jointly with the third edition of the No Hate Speech Week, the hackathon will host 80 participants who will have the opportunity connect with 120 experts of the field, ranging from civil society to national authorities and academics to co-create concrete tools and systems. The selected 20 teams will get an all-expenses paid trip to Strasbourg for the event.  

The interdisciplinary teams of “hackathoners” will tackle one of four challenges designed by representatives and researchers from Democracy Reporting International, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, the Technical University of Munich and the University of Strasbourg. 

Prize fund: €50k!

A jury will select a winning team for each challenge, and the four winners will compete in a final presentation. The winning teams will compete for a total overall prize fund of €50,000 provided by Microsoft, and benefit from post-event implementation support by seasoned mentors to develop their solutions further.    

The first Council of Europe Democracy Hackathon, held in 2025,  focused on disinformation and produced solutions including detection tools, mitigation measures of echo-chambers and educational kits for critical thinking. Images from the event can be seen in the gallery below.

 Enter a team in the Council of Europe Hackathon