The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2025 Summary Report
This year’s meeting was especially significant, marking 20 years since the IGF was established. Over 9,000 participants from 165 countries took part in more than 260 sessions, both onsite and online.
The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2025 Summary Report has just been released, providing a detailed look at the discussions and outcomes of the 20th annual meeting held in Lillestrøm, Norway, from 23–27 June 2025. The IGF is a United Nations–convened platform where governments, companies, civil society, and experts come together to debate how the internet and digital technologies should be managed for the benefit of all.
This year’s meeting was especially significant, marking 20 years since the IGF was established. Over 9,000 participants from 165 countries took part in more than 260 sessions, both onsite and online. The overarching theme was ‘Building Digital Governance Together‘, and discussions were grouped under four main topics: digital trust and resilience, sustainable innovation, universal access and rights, and international cooperation.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the newly published report:
- Digital rights and safety – Concerns were raised about online misinformation, fraud, and cyber conflict. Protecting vulnerable users, such as children, was emphasised as a shared global responsibility.
- Artificial Intelligence – While AI was seen as full of potential, many warned of risks like surveillance, bias, and lack of transparency. Calls were made for global standards and stronger safeguards.
- Youth engagement – A dedicated Youth Track gave young people a platform to share views on issues such as age verification and social media regulation, insisting that they must be co-creators of their digital future.
- Parliamentary involvement – Lawmakers from more than 30 countries joined discussions and agreed on the importance of laws that protect human rights, democratic values, and information integrity online.
- Link to global processes – The IGF fed directly into the WSIS+20 review and the UN’s Global Digital Compact, both of which will shape international digital governance in the coming years.
The report closes with the Lillestrøm IGF Messages, a set of distilled insights from the hundreds of sessions. These messages will guide policymakers and stakeholders as they work toward an open, safe, and inclusive digital future.
