Updates

28 Jan 2026

ICANN sets public meeting dates for 2029–2033

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has published a five-year schedule for its public meetings, offering predictability for governments, civil society, businesses, and technical experts involved in managing the global internet.

27 Jan 2026

ICANN85 prep week schedule published ahead of Mumbai community forum

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has released the programme for ICANN85 Prep Week, a series of online briefings designed to prepare the community for the March 2026 Community Forum in Mumbai.

27 Jan 2026

Austrian watchdog orders Microsoft to stop tracking schoolchildren in Microsoft 365 Education

Austria’s data protection authority has ruled that Microsoft unlawfully used tracking cookies on a student’s device through its education software, marking a further regulatory setback for the company’s use of personal data in schools.

27 Jan 2026

French lawmakers approve social media ban for children under 15

France’s lower house has adopted legislation banning access to social media for children under 15 and restricting mobile phone use in high schools. The bill, backed by the government, now moves to the upper chamber for consideration.

26 Jan 2026

Commission expands DSA investigation into X to cover Grok integration

The European Commission has opened a new formal investigation into X under the Digital Services Act, examining risks linked to the deployment of Grok and the platform’s recommender systems in the EU.

26 Jan 2026

France to ban social media for children under 15 by September 2026?

President Emmanuel Macron has called for accelerated legislation to restrict access to social media for under-15s, citing child protection concerns and the influence of platform-driven algorithms on young people’s well-being.

24 Jan 2026

Updated candidate recommendation: Web Neural Network (WebNN) API published by the World Wide Web Consortium

The World Wide Web Consortium has published an updated draft of the Web Neural Network API, a technical specification that aims to make artificial intelligence tasks run faster directly in web browsers by using specialised hardware.

24 Jan 2026

Civil society groups launch campaign urging humanitarian use of direct-to-cell satellite connectivity during internet shutdowns

A coalition of civil society organisations has launched a campaign calling for the integration of humanitarian safeguards into the deployment of direct-to-cell (D2C) satellite connectivity technologies, citing recent internet shutdowns in Iran as a case that illustrates the risks of large-scale connectivity disruptions.

23 Jan 2026

WSIS forum 2026 opens consultation process to shape global digital cooperation agenda

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2026 has launched its Open Consultation Process, inviting governments, civil society, the private sector, and the technical community to help shape the programme and priorities of one of the UN’s main platforms for digital development.

23 Jan 2026

New US report links artificial intelligence to renewed economic divergence

A January 2026 report by the US Council of Economic Advisers argues that artificial intelligence is likely to accelerate economic divergence between countries, with the United States positioned as the main beneficiary under current investment and policy trends.

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