Join EncryptFest 2026 on October 25 for Privacy and Encryption Workshops

October 30, 2026 Rachel Kim – Technology Editor Technology

The Free Software Foundation has scheduled EncryptFest for Sunday, October 25, 2026, running from 13:00 to 15:00 Eastern Daylight Time (17:00 to 19:00 UTC), as a gratis global event focused on bulk surveillance and email privacy.

The Tech TL;DR:

  • Participants can attend the two-hour virtual event online or in person at designated library and community hubs.
  • The schedule features discussions on bulk surveillance, followed by a hands-on GNU Privacy Guard workshop using the Email Self-Defense guide.
  • Organizers invite proficient users to volunteer and encourage early registration for planning purposes.

Global Schedule and Venues for EncryptFest

The virtual and in-person sessions span multiple time zones and locations on October 25, 2026. According to fsf.org, attendees can join remotely or visit physical hubs including the Boston Public Library’s Copley Square branch at 700 Boylston Street in Boston, Massachusetts, or MakeHaven at 770 Chapel Street in New Haven, Connecticut. The event is free of charge, though registration helps organizers manage communications and pre-workshop instructions.

Free Software Foundation executive director Zoë Kooyman will introduce the event. The opening segment includes a discussion featuring Henry Fisher, the founder of Techlore and a digital rights activist, alongside a short video presentation from cryptographer Bruce Schneier.

Hands-On Workshops and GPG Implementation

The second half of the event shifts to technical execution. Participants will use the Free Software Foundation’s Email Self-Defense guide to set up email encryption. GNU Privacy Guard serves as the primary tool for securing communications against bulk surveillance. For GNU/Linux users, organizers recommend installing Icedove, a fork of Thunderbird, as the email client prior to the session.

# Install GNU Privacy Guard on Debian/Ubuntu-based distributions
sudo apt update
sudo apt install gnupg

# Generate a new OpenPGP key pair
gpg --full-generate-key

Volunteer Coordination and Sponsorship Opportunities

Organizers are actively recruiting volunteers to assist attendees with GPG configuration during the workshop. Individuals proficient with the Email Self-Defense guide or GPG are asked to contact campaigns@fsf.org with the subject line “EncryptFest volunteer”. The foundation also welcomes inquiries regarding event sponsorship.

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