Call for Papers, XVIII International Natural Law Conference
The Right to Freedom of Expression in the Digital Era: Platforms, Deepfakes, Social Media, and the Public Sphere
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, School of Law
Santiago, Chile | October 26–28, 2026
The XVIII International Natural Law Conference invites submissions for its 2026 meeting, to be held at the School of Law of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, in Santiago, Chile, on October 26–28, 2026.
Founded in 2005, the International Natural Law Conference brings together scholars interested in examining contemporary legal, moral, and political challenges in light of the natural law tradition. The 2026 Conference will address one of the most pressing questions of our time: the status of freedom of expression in a world increasingly shaped by digital platforms, artificial intelligence, synthetic media, and new forms of public and private governance.
The theme of the 2026 Conference is:
Freedom of Expression in the Digital Age: Platforms, Deepfakes, Social Media, and the Public Sphere
The Conference will examine, among other issues, how digital platforms shape public discourse, how deepfakes and synthetic media affect truth and trust in the public sphere, how private actors exercise regulatory power over speech, and what legal and philosophical principles should guide the protection of freedom of expression in digitally mediated environments.
Paper proposals are welcome from scholars in law, philosophy, political theory, communications, technology studies, and related disciplines.
Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
• Freedom of expression and the transformation of the public sphere
• Digital platforms and the governance of public discourse
• Public and private governance of freedom of expression on platforms
• Content moderation, legitimacy, and due process
• Social media, democracy, and public deliberation
• Deepfakes, synthetic media, and the crisis of authenticity
• Truth, evidence, and trust in digitally mediated environments
• Identity, dignity, image, voice, and personality rights in the digital age
• Artificial intelligence and the legal limits of speech regulation
• Vulnerability, children, and special protection in digital environments
• Meta’s Oversight Board and new models of private adjudication
• Natural law, human dignity, and freedom of expression in technological society
Submission Guidelines
Abstracts must be submitted through the Conference website.
Each submission must include:
• Title of the paper
• Abstract in English, up to 300 words
• Three keywords
• Author’s name and institutional affiliation
• E-mail address
• A short biographical note of up to 100 words
Deadline
The deadline for submission of abstracts is:
September 15, 2026
Accepted speakers will be notified after review by the Conference organizers.
Registration
Registration must be completed through the Conference website.
The registration fee is CLP 30,000 (US$30) and includes a certificate of participation. Speakers whose papers are accepted are exempt from the registration fee. Students are likewise exempt.
The Conference particularly welcomes proposals that combine legal analysis with broader philosophical, anthropological, or institutional reflection, and that contribute to a deeper understanding of the challenges posed by digital technologies to freedom of expression, democratic life, and the protection of human dignity.