China targets AI deepfakes in live-streams
Online platforms have been instructed to conduct comprehensive clean-ups and strengthen oversight mechanisms.
APC report highlights digital rights challenges in Namibia ahead of UPR review
APC has submitted a detailed assessment of Namibia’s digital rights landscape to the 52nd session of the Universal Periodic Review, identifying gaps in connectivity, privacy protections, online expression, and responses to technology-facilitated gender-based violence. The report notes that while Namibia’s internet penetration has grown, rural–urban divides, affordability barriers, and weak legal safeguards continue to limit equitable access.
New CDT report maps how influencers are reshaping US political messaging
The Center for Democracy and Technology has issued a new report examining how social media creators have become influential actors in political communication and campaign ecosystems. The study, titled Architects of Online Influence, analyzes the growing role of political influencers, the incentives that shape their work, and the regulatory and platform-policy gaps that surround them. It argues that the creator economy is no longer peripheral to political discourse but is now a structural part of how campaigns, advocacy groups, and even foreign actors attempt to shape public opinion.
Revision 1 of the WSIS+20 outcome document released
As we get closer to the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting dedicated to the 20-year review of the implementation of outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20), a new version of the outcome document has been released. We look at some of the main changes compared to the zero draft.
Freedom on the Net 2025: New policy recommendations urge democracies, companies, and civil society to counter global digital repression
Freedom House finds that while the challenges are substantial, coordinated action across institutions can still help restore a free, open, and secure global internet.
Argentina recognises the United States as an adequate jurisdiction for data transfers under new bilateral trade framework
Argentina’s new trade framework with the United States includes a major digital-policy shift. Buenos Aires has agreed to recognise the U.S. as an “adequate jurisdiction” for cross-border data transfers, allowing personal data to move freely between the two countries without additional legal safeguards.
European Telecommunications Standards Institute proposes user-centric data control framework for next-generation AI ecosystems
ETSI has published a new Technical Report proposing a user-centric framework that would let individuals control how their data is used in AI-driven digital services. The document introduces the User Information System, a model enabling selective data disclosure and personalised service interactions, marking a shift away from traditional provider-led data practices.
ARTICLE 19 urges EU Court to uphold stricter DSA obligations for major online platforms
As the Court of Justice of the EU examines a challenge brought by Technius over its Digital Services Act designation, ARTICLE 19 is calling for the case to reinforce, rather than weaken, the fundamental rights obligations applied to very large online platforms. The ruling will help clarify how the DSA’s enhanced due diligence rules should operate for services with significant influence over users and public discourse.
Call to update ECOWAS gender policy to address current challenges
At an event marking ECOWAS’s 50th anniversary, legal expert Priscilla Ankut urged member states to revise the 2005 ECOWAS gender policy. She called for stronger justice reforms, improved accountability, and greater investment in women’s economic empowerment. Speakers also highlighted gaps in access to justice and the need for broader public education on rights.
Civil society warns EU Digital Omnibus could trigger historic rollback of digital rights
A group of 127 civil society organisations and trade unions has warned that the European Commission’s planned Digital Omnibus package could trigger the largest rollback of digital rights in EU history. In a joint statement, they say the proposals would weaken the GDPR, ePrivacy rules and the AI Act under the guise of technical simplification, opening the door to wider tracking, less accountable AI systems and reduced data protection, and urge the Commission to halt the process and uphold existing safeguards.
