On March 17th-19th, 2021 the World Ethical Data Forum will host a digital event with leading experts and audiences from around the globe to engage in crucial discussions on the current and future concerns surrounding digital surveillance and privacy, cybersecurity, disinformation, algorithmic bias, media freedoms, civil liberties and more. COVID-19 has forced everyone, abruptly, to live their lives largely online — from work, finances, education, healthcare, politics, and socializing, hyperconnectivity is now a necessity rather than a choice. At the same time, governments, tech companies, and even criminals are exploiting opportunities created by the pandemic to shape online narratives, censor critical speech, build new technological systems of social control, and exploit critical vulnerabilities. From WhatsApp's new privacy policy staging concerns for secure and encrypted platforms to Twitter and various social media sites abusing powers to limit free speech, 2021 is already pushing everyone to consider urgent questions around the future of democracy, freedom of speech, and privacy. Liberty is a complex and sensitive architecture; without proper oversight and consideration, far-reaching decisions made by governments and tech giants can be grave. There is an urgent need, now more than ever, for the public to collaboratively navigate and protect society's digital future.