Digital Watch Observatory - Digital Governance in 50+ issues, 500+ actors, 5+ processes
UNESCO is training officials in Ecuador and Latin America to apply ethical principles and strengthen regulatory frameworks for AI.
A renewed effort in Virginia seeks to manage chatbot behaviour in sensitive conversations and prevent AI-generated media from misleading voters or exploiting online audiences.
A rare show of unity among world leaders in Johannesburg has set the stage for what could become one of the most consequential shifts in global cooperation in years.
eSafety forms a national parent group to support Australia's carers navigating social media restrictions for under-16s, offering evidence-based insights designed to strengthen digital literacy across communities.
A new feature called ‘Stories’ from Character.AI allows users under 18 to create interactive fiction with their favourite characters. The move replaces open-ended chatbot access, which has been entirely restricted for minors amid concerns over mental health risks. Open-ended AI chatbots can initiate conversations at any time, raising worries about overuse and addiction among younger (See more)
A new high-level committee will support Sharjah’s digital strategy by improving coordination, monitoring progress and aligning government bodies with national objectives.
Through AI-driven research and collaboration, the energy sector can better forecast infrastructure needs and respond to climate-related challenges.
Search enters new phase as Google integrates Gemini 3.
The new agreement between Samsung and SK Telecom drives major progress in AI-powered 6G technologies, aiming to improve signal accuracy and support future hyperconnected networks.
Must read
Analysis
What the Cloudflare outage taught us: Tracing ones that shaped the internet of today
Every outage exposes another crack in the systems we rely on, reminding us that resilience must become part of the design, not an afterthought.
Analysis
The future of the EU data protection under the Omnibus Package
The EU data protection law and competitiveness are struggling to work cohesively, according to senior Union leaders. That is why the GDPR and ePD are next on the digital omnibus’ chopping board. With leaked drafts and questionable legal reasoning, all eyes are on 19 November for the Commission’s official proposal.
Analysis
The AI soldier and the ethics of war
AI is transforming warfare from a human-driven struggle into a machine-guided simulation, raising urgent questions about the future of ethics, accountability, and humanity on the battlefield.
Analysis
The rise of large language models and the question of ownership
Balancing open access and corporate ownership of these models will determine whether AI becomes a shared global good or a private monopoly.
DW monthly
Digital Watch newsletter – Issue 104 – October 2025
Issue 104: In our October 2025 issue, we unpacked new rules for children’s online spaces and examined the global struggle to steer AI. We analysed shifting rare-earth supply chains and what recent cloud outages reveal about digital resilience. We also looked back at the signing of the UN Cybercrime Convention. We also recapped key Geneva events shaping the future of international digital governance.
DW WEEKLY
Weekly #239 Digital draught: When the cloud goes offline
Cloudflare’s outage exposes cloud fragility as Brussels eyes gatekeepers. Plus: EU Digital Omnibus on AI/GDPR, Singapore’s AI sandbox, India’s DPDP, ETRS plan, Africa’s Cotonou 2030 goals.
DW at a glance
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WSIS+20 Process
The year 2025 marks 20 years since the finalisation of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), and a review process looking at 20 years of WSIS outcomes implementation will conclude with a high-level meeting at the UN General Assembly (UNGA), in December. This page keeps track of the process leading to the UNGA meeting in December 2025. It also provides background information about WSIS and related activities and processes since 1998.
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.