The Blueprint provides a roadmap for building age-appropriate, transparent, and research-informed AI products, focusing on key areas such as age verification, parental engagement, and ongoing evaluation.
ICANN has opened a new request for proposal to recruit expert panels that will evaluate look-alike and variant top-level domain names in the 2026 new gTLD round. The selected provider(s) will assess 'String Similarity' and 'Variant Strings' to prevent confusing or misleading domain endings and ensure the stability of the global DNS. Vendors may bid for one or both evaluation areas, with final proposals due by 16 January 2026.
ICANN’s background-screening RFP is one of many preparatory steps leading up to the 2026 new gTLD round.
With the committee vote concluded, the draft Regulation now moves to the European Parliament plenary for a final vote at the end of November. MEPs will decide whether to approve, amend or reject the reform.
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has directed major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, to enforce a minimum user age of 16 from 10 December. Services that fail to take 'reasonable steps' to block underage accounts could face penalties of up to 49.5 million AUD as part of strengthened child-protection measures.
The code will be developed over seven months by independent experts appointed by the European AI Office. The process began with a kick-off plenary meeting and will involve public input and contributions from stakeholders selected through an open call.
ICANN’s annual report to UNCTAD highlights advances in multilingual internet access, preparations for the next round of new domain names, and continued support for global internet governance processes, while noting persistent risks such as fragmentation and growing pressure on multistakeholder cooperation.
With more specifications and support material expected as Phase 4 progresses, ETSI positions the work as part of a broader effort to standardise edge computing while ensuring compatibility with software-driven development ecosystems.
A new analysis by digital-rights group Paradigm Initiative estimates that Tanzania’s five-day election-period internet blackout and the ongoing suspension of X have cost the country more than US $238 million in lost productivity, trade, and digital services. The organisation says the restrictions have also undermined access to information and free expression, and urges authorities to fully restore services and avoid future disruptions, particularly during democratic processes.
Digital-rights organisations warn that prolonged outages can hinder emergency communication, disrupt businesses, and isolate communities. They argue that internet access now underpins key services, creating social and economic risks when networks are switched off for extended periods.
Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE) is a project co-funded by the European Union.
