Digital Watch Observatory - Digital Governance in 50+ issues, 500+ actors, 5+ processes
Emotional tactics help AI chatbots secure private details with minimal user resistance.
Stricter UK rules for adult sites have triggered a surge in VPN downloads as users seek ways to bypass age verification requirements.
Russia curbs WhatsApp and Telegram calls, citing security concerns, as it pushes MAX, a government-controlled national messaging platform.
Musk accuses Apple of favouring ChatGPT, reigniting feud with Altman as AI firms battle for dominance in the App Store.
Major platforms face scrutiny in the Netherlands as regulators intensify efforts to counter systemic online risks ahead of the October election.
New data centres in Stillwater and Pryor are part of Google’s effort to combine infrastructure growth with education and workforce development.
OpenAI’s harassment lawsuit against Musk continues, with a judge ruling counterclaims are sufficient, intensifying the feud between two of the AI sector’s most influential figures.
The FBI has warned of a new fraud where con artists pose as lawyers to steal money from previous crypto scam victims, using fake documents and websites.
The trend highlights Bitcoin's growing integration into the traditional financial system as state-level funds seek to diversify and generate higher investment income.
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Analysis
Stablecoins unlocking crypto adoption and AI economies
Is global finance on the verge of discovering the missing piece that unlocks crypto’s full promise and reshapes the future of the digital era?
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The end of the analogue era and the cognitive rewiring of new generations
The decline of shared analogue experiences is altering how communities bond and preserve collective memory, especially among younger generations.
Analysis
How are we being tracked online?
Tracking technologies shape our online experience in often invisible ways, yet profoundly impactful, raising important questions about transparency, control, and accountability in the digital age.
Analysis
Not just bugs: What rogue chatbots reveal about the state of AI
When AI chatbots go rogue, the fallout reveals more about human choices than machine intent—or technical limits.
Analysis
UN OEWG concludes, paving way for permanent cybersecurity mechanism
The OEWG on ICT security has adopted its Final Report after intense negotiations on responsible state behaviour in cyberspace. We unpack key takeaways, highlight key changes across drafts, and explore how a narrow path to agreement finally emerged.
DW monthly
Digital Watch newsletter – Issue 101
Issue 101: In our #101 June 2025 issue, we unpack the IGF 2025 and dive into WSIS+20, HRC and ITU, sorting out the latest digital trends in cybersecurity, AI governance, digital divide, geopolitics and others for the month of June
DW WEEKLY
DW Weekly #224 – The EU tariffs on the US paused for six months, Samsung and SK Hynix get US chip-import tariff exemptions, and OpenAI’s ChatGPT-5 debuts
DW Weekly #224 The EU tariffs on the US paused for six months, Samsung and SK Hynix get US chip-import tariff exemptions, and OpenAI’s ChatGPT-5 debuts
DW QUARTERLY
Digital Watch Quarterly Newsletter – Issue 1
2025 Jan - Mar | Q1 newsletter: The first quarterly newsletter 2025 reveals a revolutionary shift in the AI landscape: 'bigger isn't always better.' As the race for AI dominance accelerates, smaller, specialised models outperform massive systems, disrupting long-standing assumptions. Meanwhile, AI governance shifts its gaze from distant existential threats to today's tangible issues, such as job security, education, and privacy. Amid these rapid developments, companies and governments must choose between continuing investment in large-scale projects or embracing smarter, leaner AI solutions.
DW at a glance
TRENDING
The process towards a Global Digital Compact
How will the Global Digital Compact be developed and what will it focus on?
Explore the Observatory
Digital Technologies
From internet applications to quantum computing, we focus on advanced and emerging digital technologies which are increasingly reshaping our economies and societies.
Clusters of Policy topics
We unpack digital policy by exploring over 50 topics – from access and sustainable development to network security and the future of work – classified in 7 clusters.
Processes
Follow some of the most important digital policy processes, from the EU's work on the Digital Services Act/Digital Markets Act to the UN Cybercrime Ad Hoc Committee.