Trust Conference 2025: Disinformation, lawfare and aid cuts — Civil society’s fight for survival

Panellists from last year’s Trust Conference take the stage.

Trust Conference, the annual flagship forum hosted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, returns on 21-22 October in London. Each year, the event brings together world-leading experts, industry leaders and activists to explore some of the most pressing issues of our time.

This year’s conference is free to attend and will cover a host of topics, including the escalating global clampdown on civic space, across a series of specialist panels, spotlight sessions and exclusive fireside chats.

This year’s speakers include:

• Jimmy Wales, internet entrepreneur and advocate for free knowledge. As co founder of Wikipedia and the Wikimedia movement, Wales has championed open, collaborative access to information, transforming how the world learns online.
• David Runciman, renowned political scientist and author with deep expertise in democracy and political power. Known for his incisive analysis, Runciman brings a critical perspective to how technology and AI are reshaping politics, society, and the future of democratic governance.
• Alsu Kurmasheva, American-Russian journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, detained by Russia in 2023 for violations of foreign agent laws and freed in 2024 as part of a U.S.–Russia prisoner exchange.
• Chase Strangio, American civil rights attorney and transgender-rights advocate leading landmark legal battles as Deputy Director for Transgender Justice at the ACLU.
• Christopher Wylie, Canadian data scientist and whistleblower who exposed the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal and advocates for data ethics, privacy, and accountable AI.
• Jelani Cobb, Dean of Columbia Journalism School and staff writer at The New Yorker, leading analyst of race, politics, and American history in the United States.
• Anne Bouverot, Special Envoy leading France’s 2025 Global AI Summit and Chair of the Board of École Normale Supérieure; former Director General of the GSMA and co founder of Foundation Abeona, shaping responsible AI and digital governance.
• Sigrid van Aken, CEO of Postcode Lottery Group, stewarding one of the world’s largest charity lotteries to fund climate action, human rights, and social innovation; a leading voice on philanthropy and impact driven partnerships.
  

Day one will unpack one of the most turbulent periods for civil society in decades, as NGOs around the world are threatened on multiple fronts, from sweeping foreign aid cuts to lawfare attacks and smear campaigns. Delegates will also learn about a new authoritarian playbook that is forcing newsrooms into exile in droves and collaborate on innovative strategies to push back.

On day two, sessions will explore the transformative potential of AI to scale newsroom innovation in the Global South, expand access to justice for marginalised communities and streamline supply chains, as well as the inherent risks posed to human rights and the environment.

The conference will close with a critical discussion on whether philanthropists can step up to plug the funding gap left by government foreign aid cuts.

The event will be hosted at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London.