ARIN consults community on retiring legacy directory services
ARIN is seeking community feedback on a plan to retire Whois-RWS, RWhois and Whois (Port 43), moving to RDAP as its single standardised directory service.
Applications open for 2026–2027 DPI Safeguards Working Groups
The UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies and UNDP are inviting government officials, technical experts and other practitioners to join working groups focused on financing, governance and technical safeguards for digital public infrastructure.
German privacy watchdog urges EU to scrap cookie banners
Germany’s federal data protection authority is calling on EU lawmakers to abandon the current cookie-banner model and replace it with a centralised, machine-readable consent system embedded in the Digital Omnibus package. In new recommendations published on 13 August 2026, the Bundesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit (BfDI), Louisa Specht-Riemenschneider, argues that cookie banners have [...]
Youth delegates present AI governance declaration at the UN
More than 600 young people gathered at UN Headquarters in New York on International Youth Day to present a Youth-led Declaration on AI Policy and Governance. The declaration sets out youth perspectives and recommendations on AI and is intended to contribute to future UN discussions and the implementation of the Global Digital Compact.
ETSI opens approval process for 17 standards supporting the EU Cyber Resilience Act
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has submitted 17 draft standards for public review as part of the EU Cyber Resilience Act. The standards are intended to give manufacturers practical technical guidance for meeting the cybersecurity requirements that will apply to products with digital elements.
ICANN receives more than 1,600 applications in 2026 new gTLD round
ICANN has closed the application window for its 2026 New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Program Round, receiving more than 1,600 primary applications. The final number will depend on whether applicants complete the required evaluation fee payments, after which ICANN will begin reviewing the applications.
Uzbekistan approves 49 countries for cross-border personal data transfers
Uzbekistan has approved 49 countries and territories as providing an adequate level of personal data protection, establishing a legal basis for certain cross-border transfers and processing of personal data.
France’s Constitutional Council rejects under-15 social media ban
France’s Constitutional Council has struck down legislation that would have banned children under 15 from accessing social media, finding that the measure disproportionately restricted their freedom of expression and communication. The government is now expected to prepare a revised proposal that complies with the ruling and the EU’s regulatory framework.
W3C updates guidance on using ARIA in HTML to improve web accessibility
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has published an updated Recommendation defining how developers should use ARIA attributes in HTML. The specification is intended to help developers build web interfaces that can be better understood and used by people relying on assistive technologies such as screen readers.
Africa faces rising AI-enabled cybercrime as calls grow for rights-based local solutions
New findings from INTERPOL and Paradigm Initiative highlight the growing use of artificial intelligence in cybercrime across Africa and the need for locally developed safeguards that protect digital rights.
