New Zealand proposes social media ban for under-16s
New Zealand’s National Party plans to introduce legislation restricting social media access for children under 16, with platforms facing significant penalties for failing to comply.
India and Brazil sign MoU on telecommunications and ICT cooperation
India’s Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia and Brazil’s Minister of Communications Frederico de Siqueira Filho signed a memorandum of understanding on 21 August 2024 to strengthen bilateral cooperation in telecommunications and information and communications technologies (ICTs). The MoU creates a framework for exchanging information, experiences and best practices and for joint initiatives in areas such as spectrum and satellite‑orbit management, 5G, Open RAN, cybersecurity and digital public infrastructure.
Australia requires Roblox to strengthen child safety measures
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has secured a court-enforceable agreement requiring Roblox to introduce additional measures to protect children from grooming and sexual exploitation.
Apc submits input to UN special rapporteur on environmental defenders
The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) has submitted a written input to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human right to a healthy environment for the rapporteur’s forthcoming report on environmental human rights defenders and the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. The submission outlines technology‑facilitated violence, legal repression and community‑led measures aimed at protecting environmental defenders.
Registration opens for IGF 2026 in Nairobi
Registration is now open for the 21st annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, which will take place in Nairobi, Kenya, from 14 to 18 December 2026 under the theme 'Governing the Internet in the Age of Intelligence: Our Shared Responsibility'.
EU e-Evidence Regulation introduces new cross-border access rules
The EU e-Evidence Regulation is now applicable, allowing judicial authorities to send orders directly to service providers in other EU Member States to obtain or preserve electronic evidence.
OpenAI introduces ChatGPT for teenage users
OpenAI has launched a version of ChatGPT designed for users under 18, adding stronger safety settings, parental controls and age-based protections intended to limit exposure to inappropriate content.
W3C publishes first draft of Profiles Vocabulary
The W3C Dataset Exchange Working Group has published the first public working draft of the Profiles Vocabulary, a framework designed to provide machine-readable descriptions of profiles and the resources associated with them.
White House revises US critical technology priorities for national security
The White House has updated its list of critical and emerging technologies, reducing the number of priority categories from 18 to 14 and adding technologies such as post-quantum cryptography, integrated photonics and hardened operating systems. The revised framework is intended to guide US national security, research and technology policies.
ICANN appoints Mirror Group as safeguard assessment provider for 2026 new gTLD programme
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced that it has entered into an agreement with Mirror Group LLC to act as the Safeguard Assessment provider for the 2026 round of the New generic top‑level domain programme.
