Digital Watch Observatory - Digital Governance in 50+ issues, 500+ actors, 5+ processes
A long-awaited breakthrough on the EU’s child protection law has reopened a fierce debate over how far governments should go to safeguard children online without sliding into widespread digital surveillance.
Teams benefit from less repetitive work, faster development cycles, and stronger security, transforming how software is built and operated.
Recent discussions on national AI strategy deepened after UK ministers assessed how improved grid access can strengthen investment in emerging data centre clusters.
A Peloton suggestion in ChatGPT sparked debate about intrusive app discovery tests.
Security experts say the Mixpanel case highlights longstanding weaknesses in behavioural-tracking systems.
Authorities in Ireland have begun investigations into TikTok and LinkedIn to assess whether reporting systems for suspected illegal content meet accessibility and user-friendliness requirements under the Digital Services Act.
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Analysis
Quantum money meets Bitcoin: Building unforgeable digital currency
A new battle for the digital throne is emerging as quantum money moves from theory to possibility, raising the question of whether Bitcoin’s decentralised strength can withstand a future shaped by quantum technology.
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.
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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.
