As governments assert internet sovereignty, global networks are quietly fracturing. Data localisation, sovereign cloud rules and political risk are forcing companies to redesign technology stacks once built for a borderless internet. more
Efforts to combat online piracy are pushing courts to weaponise the Internet's naming system. Turning DNS operators into enforcement agents may deliver quick takedowns, but risks collateral damage, jurisdictional conflict and long-term fragmentation of the Internet. more
India's AI summit promised a Global South rethink of digital governance. Instead, a weak declaration and Delhi's accession to America's Pax Silica exposed widening power asymmetries, leaving countries like Brazil outside the real circuitry of control. more
At Munich's twin security gatherings, leaders warned that cyber conflict, transatlantic rifts and weaponised AI are pushing the rules-based order into a perilous transition, where deterrence falters, norms erode and digital sovereignty trumps multistakeholder ideals. more
Project Jake invites global DNS stakeholders to test JADDAR, a privacy-respecting framework for secure access to registration data, aiming to reduce regulatory fragmentation and modernise domain governance through collaborative, policy-aligned engineering solutions. more
After quelling nationwide protests, Iran has intensified its use of digital surveillance, deploying phone tracking, facial recognition and online monitoring to identify, intimidate and detain dissenters through a vast state-controlled communications infrastructure. more
In February 1996, a libertarian myth of cyberspace and sweeping US platform immunity collided, hardwiring digital exceptionalism. Three decades on, that original sin still shields tech and AI from accountability, with legal and social consequences. more
Iran's 2026 internet shutdown was not a glitch but a trial of digital sovereignty, revealing how easily connectivity can be weaponised to silence society, concentrate state power, and fracture the promise of a global internet. more
Global digital policy frameworks often overlook the realities of African SMEs, imposing compliance standards shaped by mature economies and infrastructure, thereby constraining innovation, competitiveness, and inclusion in the digital economy. more
ICANN's 2026 Nominating Committee invites applications for key policy council roles that shape global Internet governance, offering leadership opportunities in domain regulation, digital rights, and multistakeholder decision-making. Deadline: 18 February 2026. more
Iran's deliberate disconnection from the global internet reveals a deeper crisis in digital governance, where state-led suppression and procedural legitimacy now threaten the foundational architecture and human rights principles of an open web. more
The gTLD race is not just about technical readiness. Governance strategy, institutional stamina, and adversarial foresight will define success in ICANN's 2026 round, where geopolitical resistance, not DNS errors, threatens survival. more
Iran is finalizing a nationwide internet isolation system that would allow authorities to disconnect from the global web, as protests continue and external equipment sources, including Huawei, remain shrouded in secrecy. more
ICANN's Nominating Committee is calling for community input to help shape its 2026 leadership selection. Feedback on candidate criteria, job descriptions, and process improvements is due by 21 January 2026. more
The Internet Society is accepting nominations for two seats on the 2026 Board of the Public Interest Registry, the non-profit behind .ORG and other domains serving civil society. Deadline: 30 January 2026. more