On 18 May 2026, the Jurisconsult of the Court, Anna Austin, delivered a keynote address at the conference Human Rights in Immersive Realities (XR), Freedom of Expression, Justice, Children’s Rights and Well Being, which took place in Strasbourg.
 
In her address, the Jurisconsult acknowledged the risks and challenges which new immersive technologies posed for human rights, democratic processes and the rule of law. She considered that the Convention and its case-law had shown itself to be sufficiently elastic over the years to allow it to adapt to other novel technologies and developments and it could continue to provide a solid conceptual basis for protecting the individual and society from the negative impact, sometimes unseen, of immersive environments. 
 
The Jurisconsult highlighted, in particular, the positive obligations on States to proactively develop effective and adapted legal frameworks to protect individuals and democratic societies and this could include protection from the negative impact of immersive realities.
 
The event was jointly organised by the Council of Europe (CDMSI) and the European Metaverse Research Network (EMRN), under the auspices of the Monaco Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, with the aim of raising awareness, deepening understanding and supporting anticipatory action regarding the human rights implications of immersive realities. It brought together policy and legal perspectives from the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights, alongside interdisciplinary research selected through an EMRN led call for papers.