India’s Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) has raised serious concerns over the Draft Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2025, warning that the proposed measures to regulate 'synthetically generated information' could result in overbroad censorship, privacy violations, and the chilling of lawful expression online.
The West Africa Internet Governance Forum has called for targeted measures to expand regional connectivity, protect digital rights, and strengthen African participation in global internet governance as part of the WSIS+20 outcome. Its submission urges support for community networks, local-language content, ethical AI tailored to regional needs, and a permanent role for the Internet Governance Forum, alongside safeguards against shutdowns and arbitrary surveillance.
France and Denmark support bans, while others favour parental consent systems.
At the UN WSIS+20 consultations in Geneva, the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) called for renewed multistakeholder cooperation, greater investment in technical capacity, and stronger commitments to bridge digital divides through IPv6 and community networks.
Colombia’s competition authority has ordered the immediate closure of the digital identity project Worldcoin, citing violations of national data protection laws related to the collection and processing of iris biometrics. The regulator also ordered the deletion of all sensitive personal data from the company’s systems.
The initiative comes amid growing concern over extra-EU data transfers and the risk of third-country surveillance, particularly following debates on transatlantic data-sharing frameworks.
The European Commission has unveiled a new network of AI antennas across 13 European countries, marking a major step toward expanding artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and reducing digital divides across the continent.
The consultation opened on 20 October 2025 and will remain open until 22 December 2025.
The African Telecommunications Union has called for the WSIS+20 outcome to reaffirm the ITU’s leadership of the WSIS process, maintain the existing WSIS architecture, and secure sustainable funding for the WSIS Forum and participation of developing countries. Its contribution stresses that future UN digital-policy initiatives should build on, rather than replace, the WSIS framework, and highlights priorities including inclusive participation, open and interoperable digital public infrastructure, and measurable targets for energy efficiency and e-waste management.
The proposals strongly reaffirm the WSIS principles and the Tunis and Geneva outcomes, particularly the importance of multistakeholder engagement in global digital policy processes.
Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE) is a project co-funded by the European Union.
