Internet Governance

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ICANN Seeks Community Input for 2026 NomCom Cycle (Comments Due 21 January 2026)

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

How Internet Sovereignty Is Reshaping Company Tech Stacks

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

Who Authorizes Legitimacy if the Community Is Absent in the Redefined Procedural Space?

In African Internet governance, procedural authorship is quietly displacing community legitimacy. When conveners, not members, define reform processes, legitimacy becomes retrospective and trust erodes -- not by intention, but through unchecked structural roles. more

Nominations Open for 2026 Public Interest Registry (PIR) Board of Directors

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

How Trump’s Trade War is Reshaping the Global Internet

In January 2025, President Donald Trump -- now serving his second non-consecutive term -- unveiled a sweeping tariff regime designed to recalibrate America's global trade relationships. Among the measures was a blanket 10% tariff on all imported goods, accompanied by higher, so-called "reciprocal" tariffs targeting specific regions: 20% on EU imports and a dramatic 145% on goods from China. While these heightened rates were temporarily paused on April 9, 2025, for 90 days (excluding China), the 10% baseline tariff remains broadly in effect, symbolizing a shift toward an overtly protectionist economic doctrine. more

The Internet No Longer Needs Permission

Governance rules built for the early Internet are struggling to keep pace with a global, automated network. As IPv4 markets mature and infrastructure becomes software-defined, registries may need to prioritise transparency and automation over permission. more

Iran’s Digital Arsenal: When Invisible Fences Rise in the Conflict

Iran's near-total internet blackout during airstrikes reveals how cyberattacks, sanctions and platform power can isolate a nation. The conflict shows digital infrastructure, satellites and cloud services becoming decisive weapons in modern geopolitical competition worldwide today. more

When Registry Power Detaches From Liability, It Detaches From Reality

IPv4 scarcity turned regional internet registries from clerks into gatekeepers of a valuable resource. Yet liability caps remain trivial, leaving powerful institutions with little accountability and incentives for conflict and structural breakdown ahead. more

Building Trust in Digital Travel: Interoperability, Privacy, and the Future of Global Mobility

Digital travel credentials promise to streamline air travel by enabling privacy-preserving identity sharing across borders. Their success will depend on interoperable standards, trusted governance and gradual adoption alongside passports worldwide as governments airlines cooperate. more

Reflecting on WSIS+20 and Youth’s Role in Redefining Stakeholder Classification

At ICANN85, reflection on WSIS+20 highlights a quieter milestone: youth successfully secured recognition as a distinct stakeholder group, reshaping how Internet governance defines participation and offering a blueprint for other overlooked communities seeking voice today. more

Africa Is Not a Digital Quarry

Africa's internet registry crisis reflects not abstract design flaws but sustained legal and market pressure, as scarce address resources are drawn into global arbitrage, challenging stewardship and exposing the fragility of regional digital governance. more

From Guessing to Declaring: Why Geofeed is the Sovereign Foundation of Global Network Resilience

As IP addresses move across borders, outdated geolocation guesses cause service failures and regulatory risks. Geofeed and Signed Geofeed replace inference with verified declarations, promising accurate, resilient and sovereign foundations for global internet infrastructure governance. more

Internet Number Resources Are Not Political Property

Internet number resources, once clerical entries, now underpin real economic value, exposing a mismatch between registry power and accountability, while misplaced political narratives obscure the case for decentralised, operator-led control. more

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