ICANN’s GNSO Council has opened a call for volunteers to join the Standing Predictability Implementation Review Team (SPIRT), which will address issues in the upcoming round of new domain names. Applications are due by 17 October 2025. The team will help ensure transparency and fairness in how changes to the program are managed, giving civil society and other stakeholders a chance to shape the process.
A new joint statement coordinated by the Global Network Initiative and the Center for Democracy & Technology condemns Russia’s escalating restrictions on encrypted communication. The signatories warn that blocking end-to-end encrypted services, forcing citizens onto state-controlled platforms and restricting VPNs violates international human-rights standards and risks normalizing digital authoritarianism worldwide.
Simon Stiell said AI can enhance planning, energy management and climate risk mapping if used wisely instead of replacing human skills.
The UN’s Scientific Advisory Board has called for urgent action to advance open science, stressing that sharing research data and knowledge openly is vital for tackling global challenges like climate change, pandemics, and inequality. The Board warned that geopolitical tensions and the privatisation of research threaten progress, urging governments, the UN, and private actors to make scientific knowledge a true global public good.
The French data protection authority (CNIL) has warned parents against using GPS trackers and similar devices to monitor their children in real time, saying it can harm their development, autonomy, and trust within the family. The regulator also raised privacy and safety concerns, urging parents to avoid constant tracking and instead use less intrusive ways to stay in contact.
EU plans to fund four to five AI Gigafactories, consolidating 76 pitches into fewer large training hubs.
Renewable energy investment is booming globally, yet financing gaps and uneven benefits highlight the need for stronger climate action.
The UK and USA will collaborate on AI infrastructure, expand computing access, and develop key datasets, focusing on flagship research in biotechnology, medicine, and nuclear energy.
The agreement sets out several commitments: clarifying legal bases for data use in AI, improving security measures, monitoring the societal impact of AI, reducing legal uncertainty for innovators, and strengthening cooperation between regulators
The company is prioritising sensitive AI conversations, ensuring privacy and monitoring serious risks to protect users.
Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE) is a project co-funded by the European Union.
