Berlin – November 05, 2026 -- About 70 decision-makers from media, civil society, politics, culture and business will meet in Berlin on November 19-20, 2026, to develop alternatives to dependence on tech platforms. The CONVOY LAB is the first gathering of the new initiative THE CONVOY, and Ferda Ataman, Germany's Independent Federal Commissioner for Anti-Discrimination, has taken on its patronage.
Three organizations launch THE CONVOY under the motto GEMEINSAM UNABHÄNGIG
The independent VOCER Institute for Digital Resilience and the Future of Technology Institute (FOTI) initiated the project. The C&U Baumeister Foundation for Sustainable Technology supports it.
The initiative targets a shared dilemma. Politicians, media houses, NGOs, public administrations, cultural institutions and companies want to reduce their reliance on tech platforms. As long as each acts alone, they still depend on those platforms for reach.
CONVOY LAB aims for a joint roadmap and pooled resources
The lab is meant to lay the groundwork for a shared roadmap, bundled resources and independent channels to audiences. FOTI Germany Senior Lead Tobias Bacherle said no single actor can solve the dilemma alone and that alternatives must be built jointly so that digital sovereignty becomes workable in practice.
The stated goal is a long-term rebuild of the digital public sphere rather than a simple switch between platforms. VOCER Director Dr. Stephan Weichert said the initiative seeks a coordinated systemic shift. He argued that organizations confuse reach with relevance and followers with real relationships, and that the AI era should not repeat the same dependencies.
Ataman links patronage to access and participation
Ataman said a democratic public sphere needs spaces where people can speak without fear of discrimination. She added that organizations should consider how to reach and involve people better.