ICANN launches webinar series for potential applicants to the 2026 New gTLD round
ICANN will host two informational webinars in January 2026 to support prospective applicants and community members ahead of the opening of the 2026 New gTLD Program.
UK digital rights group urges MPs to address reliance on US technology in cybersecurity bill
Open Rights Group is calling on UK lawmakers to include a digital sovereignty strategy in the Cybersecurity and Resilience Bill, warning that heavy reliance on US technology providers poses strategic risks to national infrastructure.
ICANN issues request for proposal for quality control of the 2026 New gTLD round
ICANN has launched a public request for proposal to appoint an independent quality control provider for evaluations under the 2026 New gTLD Program.
ICANN issues final call for Community Excellence Award nominations
Nominations for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers’ Community Excellence Award close on 8 January 2026, recognising sustained contributions to ICANN’s multistakeholder model.
India’s IT ministry issues notice to X over misuse of AI-generated obscene content
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has asked X to remove obscene material linked to the misuse of its AI service Grok and to comply with India’s IT Act and intermediary rules.
China opens public consultation on draft industrial data security maturity model
China’s National Cybersecurity Standardisation Technical Committee has launched a public consultation on a draft practice guide setting out a data security capability maturity model for industrial enterprises.
India designates ICEGATE, ECCS and ACES-GST as critical information infrastructure
The Indian government has formally classified key customs and tax digital systems as Critical Information Infrastructure under the Information Technology Act, strengthening legal protections for platforms central to customs clearance and indirect tax administration.
Copyright and artificial intelligence. What a new EU briefing says about authorship in the age of generative AI
A new briefing from the European Parliamentary Research Service explains how copyright rules in the European Union and beyond are grappling with generative AI. At the core of the debate is a simple but unresolved question. Can content created with the help of AI be protected by copyright, and if so, under what conditions?
California implements training data transparency rules for generative AI systems
A new California law requiring transparency around the training data used in generative AI systems will take effect on 1 January 2026. The measure introduces disclosure obligations for developers and marks a shift toward greater scrutiny of how generative models are built and updated.
France plnas to ban social media access for children under 15
France is preparing draft legislation that would prohibit children under 15 from accessing social media platforms, with the proposal backed by President Emmanuel Macron and expected to enter parliamentary debate in early 2026.
