RightsCon 2026 cancelled
RightsCon organisers have announced the cancellation of the event in Lusaka and online, citing immediate concerns and advising participants not to travel.
ICANN opens second evaluation window for domain infrastructure providers
A new application period allows technical providers to qualify for supporting domain name operations in the 2026 gTLD round.
ICANN opens applications for new domain names in 2026 round
Organisations can now apply to operate new internet domain endings, with the first application window in over a decade running until August 2026.
EU Commission pushes member states to deploy EU age verification app by year-end
The European Commission is urging countries to accelerate rollout of a privacy-focused age verification system to support online child protection rules.
EU legislators fail to agree on delay to AI Act
Negotiations between EU institutions broke down over exemptions for industrial AI, leaving uncertainty ahead of upcoming rules.
ITU updates global telephone numbering standard to reflect evolving services
A revised version of the International Telecommunication Union’s E.164 recommendation introduces updated structures for international numbering, including provisions for IoT and non-traditional communication services.
Civil society groups call for stronger focus on linguistic diversity in UN AI governance talks
The Center for Democracy & Technology and the Cornell Global AI Initiative have urged policymakers to address structural gaps in multilingual AI systems, warning that current approaches risk reinforcing global inequalities.
Freedom Online Coalition says RightsCon cancellation weakens digital rights civic space
The Freedom Online Coalition has criticised the cancellation of RightsCon 2026 in Zambia, warning of the impact on global and regional digital rights networks.
Nigeria drops Meta privacy fine after settlement
Nigeria has withdrawn a $32.8 million penalty against Meta Platforms following a confidential settlement, prompting debate over the credibility of data protection enforcement.
Civil society urges EU AI Office to establish Advisory Forum under AI Act
A coalition of organisations and researchers is calling on the EU AI Office to clarify timelines and set up a key advisory body intended to include civil society in AI Act implementation.
