[Air-L] Call for Papers: Data Justice Conference

[Lina Dencik]

Call for Papers
Fourth international Data Justice conference: The Datafied State

Date:  1-2 June, 2026
Location: Cardiff University in Cardiff, UK
Host: Data Justice Lab

Although contested and multifaceted, the field of data justice continues to engage critical debates on the societal implications of datafication in all its iterations, from social media to platform capitalism to the current hype around Artificial Intelligence (AI). Much of this focus has been on the potential harm of such technologies on different communities and on the societal shifts associated with their uses by a diverse range of actors. Less focus, perhaps, has been on the way the advent of data-driven technologies has intermingled with and transformed the state. From high-stake uses, such as those revealed in the Snowden leaks, to crisis management as evidenced during the Covid-19 pandemic, to the mundane and everyday delivery of public services, platforms and AI systems a now deeply embedded within roles and functions associated with the state. At the same time, the state has been instrumental in the advancement of datafication and the role that technology, and its providers, now play in society. At a time when governments and technology companies are seen to be closer than ever, examining their relationship and its consequences seems pivotal for our understanding of data justice.

This two-day conference will therefore explore the role and transformations of the state in an age of datafication and what this means for social justice and resistance. It will examine the interrelations between data-driven technologies and government, the changing role of corporations, emerging popular responses, and efforts to democratise datafication. Hosted by the Data Justice Lab at Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture (JOMEC) in the UK, it will bring together international scholars, practitioners and community groups to discuss the nature and implications of the datafied state.

Keynote Speakers include:
Nick Srnicek, King’s College London, UK
Sarah Myers West, AI Now, US
Oriana Bernasconi, Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile

Submission of abstracts of max 500 words to DataJusticeLab at cardiff.ac.uk<mailto:DataJusticeLab at cardiff.ac.uk>
Deadline for submissions of abstracts: 31st of December, 2025

Conference registration fees:
£175 / £150  (early bird)
£125 / £100 students (early bird)

Conference registration deadlines:
6th of March 2026 – early bird
17th of April 2026 – final deadline

We hope to see you there!

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Professor Lina Dencik
University Research Leader in AI Justice
Media, Communication and Cultural Studies
Goldsmiths, University of London
Co-Founder of Data Justice Lab