Our colleague Goetz was at the annual meeting of the Chaos Computer Club (CCC). The event not only offered technical insights, but also political, social and artistic aspects. Here are some of his impressions of the event, which was held between 26 and 30 December 2023.
The annual meeting attracted around 13,000 participants this time, having been moved back to Hamburg from Leipzig. Despite the change in size, the event offered a wealth of presentations, discussions and practical activities. The variety of topics ranged from technical research to political activism.
One presentation, for example, was about Polish trains that suddenly stopped moving after being serviced by a company. The manufacturer claimed that this was due to a security system being compromised. Hackers used reverse engineering to discover that the manufacturer had installed a software killswitch. A completely different presentation, given by Arne Semsrott, shed light on the challenges of dealing with state institutions and organisations.
In addition to the lectures, there were also practical workshops, exhibitions and discussion panels. From art installations to political actions, there was something for everyone – from technical experts to social activists.
The event was also a networking place to make valuable contacts and deepen knowledge on various technical topics. As the whole event was organised by volunteers, there were also different shifts where participants volunteered to support the event and get a good overview of the whole event area. A no-photo policy ensured that the privacy of the participants was respected.
The annual meeting of the Chaos Computer Club was once again an inspiring and educational experience. The conference combines technical innovation, political commitment and artistic creativity. Goetz is already looking forward to the next annual meeting of the CCC.
All presentations (also from past events) can be accessed here.
Featured photo: Chaos Computer Club annual meeting in Hamburg (Photo: Goetz van Rissenbeck)