Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2025l
Children safety online in 2025: Global leaders demand stronger rules
(DigWatch – 26 June 2025) At the 20th Internet Governance Forum in Lillestrøm, Norway, global leaders, technology firms, and child rights advocates gathered to address the growing risks children face from algorithm-driven digital platforms. The high-level session, Ensuring Child Security in the Age of Algorithms, explored the impact of engagement-based algorithmic systems on children’s mental health, cultural identity, and digital well-being. Shivanee Thapa, Senior News Editor at Nepal Television and moderator of the session, opened with a personal note on the urgency of the issue, calling it ‘too urgent, too complex, and too personal.’. She outlined the session’s three focus areas: identifying algorithmic risks, reimagining child-centred digital systems, and defining accountability for all stakeholders. – https://dig.watch/updates/children-safety-online-in-2025-global-leaders-demand-stronger-rules
IGF leadership panel explores future of digital governance
(DigWatch – 26 June 2025) As the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) prepares to mark its 20th anniversary, members of the IGF Leadership Panel gathered in Norway to present a strategic vision for strengthening the forum’s institutional role and ensuring greater policy impact. The session explored proposals to make the IGF a permanent UN institution, improve its output relevance for policymakers, and enhance its role in implementing outcomes from WSIS+20 and the Global Digital Compact. – https://dig.watch/updates/igf-leadership-panel-explores-future-of-digital-governance
IGF and WSIS platforms must be strengthened, not replaced, say leaders
(DigWatch – 26 June 2025) At the Internet Governance Forum 2025 in Lillestrøm, Norway, stakeholders gathered to assess the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) role in the WSIS Plus 20 review process. The session, moderated by Cynthia Lesufi of South Africa, invited input on the achievements and future direction of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), now marking its 20th year. Speakers from Brazil, Australia, Korea, Germany, Japan, Cuba, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, and Bangladesh offered their national and regional insights. – https://dig.watch/updates/igf-and-wsis-platforms-must-be-strengthened-not-replaced-say-leaders
Tower of Babel reimagined: IGF 2025 experiment highlights language barriers in internet governance
(DigWatch – 26 June 2025) At the 2025 Internet Governance Forum in Lillestrøm, Norway, an unconventional session titled ‘Tower of Babel Chaos’ challenged the norm of using English as the default language in global digital policy discussions. Moderator Virginia Paque, Senior Policy Editor of Diplo and the only native English speaker among the participants, suspended English as the session’s required language and encouraged attendees to define internet governance and interact in their own native tongues. – https://dig.watch/updates/tower-of-babel-reimagined-igf-2025-experiment-highlights-language-barriers-in-internet-governance
WSIS prepares for Geneva as momentum builds for impactful digital governance
(DigWatch – 26 June 2025) As preparations intensify for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20) high-level event, scheduled for 7–11 July in Geneva, stakeholders from across sectors gathered at the Internet Governance Forum in Norway to reflect on WSIS’s evolution and map a shared path forward. The session, moderated by Gitanjali Sah of ITU, brought together over a dozen speakers from governments, UN agencies, civil society, and the technical and business communities. The event is crucial, marking two decades since the WSIS process began. It has grown into a multistakeholder framework involving more than 50 UN entities. While the action lines offer a structured and inclusive approach to digital cooperation, participants acknowledged that measurement and implementation remain the weakest links. – https://dig.watch/updates/wsis20-prepares-for-geneva-as-momentum-builds-for-impactful-digital-governance
AI sandboxes pave path for responsible innovation in developing countries
(DigWatch – 26 June 2025) At the Internet Governance Forum 2025 in Lillestrøm, Norway, experts from around the world gathered to examine how AI sandboxes—safe, controlled environments for testing new technologies under regulatory oversight—can help ensure that innovation remains responsible and inclusive, especially in developing countries. Moderated by Sophie Tomlinson of the DataSphere Initiative, the session spotlighted the growing global appeal of sandboxes, initially developed for fintech, and now extending into healthcare, transportation, and data governance. Speakers emphasised that sandboxes provide a much-needed collaborative space for regulators, companies, and civil society to test AI solutions before launching them into the real world. Mariana Rozo-Paz from the DataSphere Initiative likened them to childhood spaces for building and experimentation, underscoring their agility and potential for creative governance. – https://dig.watch/updates/ai-sandboxes-pave-path-for-responsible-innovation-in-developing-countries
UNESCO and ICANN lead push for multilingual and inclusive internet governance
(DigWatch – 26 June 2025) At the 2025 Internet Governance Forum in Lillestrøm, Norway, experts gathered to discuss how to involve diverse communities—especially indigenous and underrepresented groups—better in the technical governance of the internet. The session, led by Niger’s Anne Rachel Inne, emphasised that meaningful participation requires more than token inclusion; it demands structural reforms and practical engagement tools. Central to the dialogue was the role of multilingualism, which UNESCO’s Guilherme Canela de Souza described as both a right and a necessity for true digital inclusion. ICANN’s Theresa Swinehart spotlighted ‘Universal Acceptance’ as a tangible step toward digital equality, ensuring that domain names and email addresses work in all languages and scripts. – https://dig.watch/updates/unesco-and-icann-lead-push-for-multilingual-and-inclusive-internet-governance
Cybercrime in Africa: Turning research into justice and action
(DigWatch – 26 June 2025) At the Internet Governance Forum 2025 in Lillestrøm, Norway, experts and policymakers gathered to confront the escalating issue of cybercrime across Africa, marked by the launch of the research report ‘Access to Justice in the Digital Age: Empowering Victims of Cybercrime in Africa’, co-organised by UNICRI and ALT Advisory. Based on experiences in South Africa, Namibia, Sierra Leone, and Uganda, the study highlights a troubling rise in cybercrime, much of which remains invisible due to widespread underreporting, institutional weaknesses, and outdated or absent legal frameworks. The report’s author, Tina Power, underscored the need to recognise cybercrime not merely as a technical challenge, but as a profound justice issue. – https://dig.watch/updates/cybercrime-in-africa-turning-research-into-justice-and-action
Governance and Legislation
Narrowing the National Security Exception to Federal AI Guardrails
(Amos Toh – Lawfare – 26 June 2025) Immediately upon taking office, President Trump replaced the Biden administration’s executive order on artificial intelligence (AI) with his own, directing agencies to roll back any regulation or policy that poses “barriers to American AI innovation.” But this deregulatory push has taken an unexpected turn. In April, the White House released a pair of memoranda on using and acquiring AI across the federal government, which many had feared would gut Biden-era safeguards seeking to ensure that the technology is safe, effective, and trustworthy. But the memos uphold many of these safeguards, recognizing that AI innovation cannot come “at the expense of the American people or any violations of their trust.” This commitment to public trust should also lead the administration to level up the rules governing national security applications of the technology, which lag far behind the recently released memos. Congress should also pass legislation codifying safeguards and provide mechanisms for enforcement and oversight. – https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/narrowing-the-national-security-exception-to-federal-ai-guardrails
EU urged to pause AI act rollout
(DigWatch – 26 June 2025) The digital sector is urging the EU leaders to delay the AI act, citing missing guidance and legal uncertainty. Industry group CCIA Europe warns that pressing ahead could damage AI innovation and stall the bloc’s economic ambitions. The AI Act’s rules for general-purpose AI models are set to apply in August, but key frameworks are incomplete. Concerns have grown as the European Commission risks missing deadlines while the region seeks a €3.4 trillion AI-driven economic boost by 2030. – https://dig.watch/updates/eu-urged-to-pause-ai-act-rollout
Taiwan leads in AI election defence efforts
(DigWatch – 26 June 2025) Taiwan has been chosen to lead a new coalition formed by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems to strengthen democratic resilience against AI-driven disinformation. The AI Advisory Group on Elections will unite policymakers and experts to address AI’s role in protecting fair elections. The island’s experience has made it a key voice in global AI governance as it counters sophisticated disinformation campaigns linked to authoritarian regimes. Taiwan’s Cyber Ambassador, Audrey Tang, stressed that AI must serve the greater good and help build accountable digital societies. – https://dig.watch/updates/taiwan-leads-in-ai-election-defence-efforts
Bosch calls for balanced AI rules in Europe
(DigWatch – 26 June 2025) Bosch CEO Stefan Hartung has cautioned that Europe could slow its progress in AI by imposing too many regulations. Speaking at a tech conference in Stuttgart, he argued that strict and unclear rules make the region less attractive for innovation. Bosch, which holds the most significant number of AI patents in Europe, plans to invest 2.5 billion euros in AI development by the end of 2027. The company is focusing on AI solutions for autonomous vehicles and industrial efficiency. – https://dig.watch/updates/bosch-calls-for-balanced-ai-rules-in-europe
Report: Quantum Tech Could Add $8.5 Billion and 20,000 Jobs to South Carolina Economy
(Quantum Insider – 25 June 2025) A new economic report projects that quantum technologies could generate $8.5 billion in economic output and nearly 20,000 new jobs in South Carolina, with broader regional gains reaching $32.9 billion. The study, conducted by Dr. Joseph Von Nessen with SC Quantum and the University of South Carolina, links quantum adoption to productivity increases across key industries such as manufacturing and logistics. The analysis estimates a 5.7% average productivity boost for South Carolina’s leading sectors, highlighting the state’s strong alignment with emerging quantum applications – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/06/25/report-quantum-tech-could-add-8-5-billion-and-20000-jobs-to-south-carolina-economy/
Geostrategies
Verizon and Nokia secure UK contract
(DigWatch – 26 June 2025) Verizon and Nokia have partnered to deliver private 5G networks at Thames Freeport in the UK. The networks will support industrial operations with high-speed, reliable connectivity, enabling AI, automation, and real-time data processing. The UK contract is part of a broader multibillion-dollar transformation of the region. Nokia will provide all hardware and software, powering major sites, including DP World London Gateway and Ford’s Dagenham plant. – https://dig.watch/updates/verizon-and-nokia-secure-uk-contract
Security
AI and Data Voids: How Propaganda Exploits Gaps in Online Information
(McKenzie Sadeghi – Lawfare – 26 June 2025) In the lead-up to the 2024 global elections, media outlets, think tanks, and world leaders issued dire warnings about artificial intelligence (AI)-generated misinformation and deepfakes. While there were many cases of foreign actors using generative AI to influence the 2024 U.S. presidential election—as documented by the intelligence community—multiple analyses argued that fears of an AI-fueled misinformation wave were largely overblown and that falsehoods still came from low-tech old-school tactics such as cheap video edits, memes, and manipulated headlines. The greater threat, it turns out, isn’t what AI is creating but, rather, what it’s absorbing and repeating. As generative AI systems increasingly replace search engines and become embedded in consumer products, enterprise software, and public services, the stakes of what they repeat and how they interpret the world are growing. The large language models (LLMs) powering today’s most widely used chatbots have been exposed to a polluted information ecosystem where state-backed foreign propaganda outlets are increasingly imitating legitimate media and employing narrative laundering tactics optimized for search engine visibility—often with the primary purpose of infecting the AI models with false claims reflecting their malign influence operations. – https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/ai-and-data-voids–how-propaganda-exploits-gaps-in-online-information
Frontiers
Top 7 AI agents transforming business in 2025
(DigWatch – 26 June 2025) AI agents are no longer a futuristic concept — they’re now embedded in the everyday operations of major companies across sectors. From customer service to data analysis, AI-powered agents transform workflows by handling tasks like scheduling, reporting, and decision-making with minimal human input. Unlike simple chatbots, today’s AI agents understand context, follow multi-step instructions, and integrate seamlessly with business tools. Google’s Gemini Agents, IBM’s Watsonx Orchestrate, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenAI’s Operator are some tools that reshape how businesses function. – https://dig.watch/updates/top-7-ai-agents-transforming-business-in-2025
New ranking shows which AI respects your data
(DigWatch -. 26 June 2025) A new report comparing leading AI chatbots on privacy grounds has named Le Chat by Mistral AI as the most respectful of user data. The study, conducted by data removal service Incogni, assessed nine generative AI services using eleven criteria related to data usage, transparency and user control. – https://dig.watch/updates/new-ranking-shows-which-ai-respects-your-data
Top Quantum Researchers Debate Quantum’s Future Progress, Problems
(Quantum Insider – 25 June 2025) A new panel summary published on arXiv reveals points of agreement — and contention — among top quantum scientists over how to measure progress in quantum computing, particularly as the field moves from theory to applications like simulation and machine learning. While hardware advances such as high-fidelity logical qubits suggest fault-tolerant quantum computing is nearing viability, panelists agreed that algorithmic breakthroughs comparable to Shor’s or Grover’s remain elusive. The panel highlighted a growing divide between those who insist on provable speed-ups over classical methods and those who argue that practical usefulness, even without theoretical guarantees, should also count as meaningful progress. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/06/25/top-quantum-researchers-debate-quantums-future-progress-problems/
AI-Driven Drug Discovery Company Insilico Medicine and UAE University Sign MoU to Develop Talent and Academic Innovation
(AI Insider – 25 June 2025) Insilico Medicine and United Arab Emirates University signed a strategic MoU to advance biotechnology research, AI-driven drug discovery, and the development of local scientific talent in the UAE. The partnership includes joint research, academic exchange, hands-on training, internships, and career opportunities, aiming to embed AI-enabled drug development into educational and research programs. This builds on Insilico’s growing presence in the UAE, including its Abu Dhabi R&D center and pilot oncology drug project, and supports the country’s goal of establishing a vibrant regional biotech ecosystem. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/06/25/ai-driven-drug-discovery-company-insilico-medicine-and-uae-university-sign-mou-to-develop-talent-and-academic-innovation/