Digital Watch Observatory - Digital Governance in 50+ issues, 500+ actors, 5+ processes
From Europe's pushback against Microsoft's cloud dominance to crypto breakthroughs and quantum computing shaking Bitcoin, the digital landscape faces new uncertainties and opportunities. Plus, don’t miss IGF 2025 kicking off in Norway on 23 June, officially covered with just-in-time reporting by Diplo and Digital Watch Observatory.
On 20 June 2025, an Elements Paper was published as part of the WSIS+20 review process, outlining thematic priorities to guide negotiations ahead of the WSIS+20 High-Level Meeting in December 2025. The paper starts with an introduction which, among other issues, notes that the WSIS process has been defined by multistakeholder cooperation, and that, while (See more)
New smart eyewear brings Meta AI to Oakley frames.
Cloudflare plans tool to block unauthorised content scraping.
Users of Meta's AI app are unknowingly making private chats public due to hidden settings and vague warnings.
Cybercriminals are upping their game with a new scam that blurs the line between real and fake, exploiting official-looking emails to quietly harvest your most sensitive data.
A growing legal battle over online age checks is putting national authority to the test against the backdrop of the EU digital law.
Project Crystal Land could be SoftBank’s most ambitious venture, with AI-driven robotics and automation production backed by Vision Fund startups and global tech partners.
X will soon offer in-app payments and trading through 'X Money,' but crypto enthusiasts are still waiting for signs of Dogecoin integration.
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Analysis
Meme coins: Fast gains or crypto gambling?
A high-stakes game of digital chance, meme coins blur the line between viral entertainment and financial risk in the wildest corner of crypto.
Analysis
Cognitive offloading and the future of the mind in the AI age
The rise of AI is transforming work and education, but raises questions about its impact on critical thinking and cognitive independence.
Analysis
The rise of AI in Hollywood, gaming, and music
AI is reshaping how stories are told in film, games, and music, raising questions about authorship, ethics, and artistic identity.
Analysis
The rise of tech giants in healthcare: How AI is reshaping life sciences
AI-powered tools from Google, IBM, and startups improve diagnostics, clinical documentation, and patient care, reducing clinician workloads and enhancing healthcare outcomes worldwide.
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Bitcoin’s political puppeteers: From code to clout
Once hailed as the future of financial freedom, Bitcoin now finds itself swayed by political power, elite influence, and media manipulation, raising urgent questions about whether the revolution has become the very system it sought to escape.
Analysis
Technological inventions blurring the line between reality and fiction
From liquid robots to mind-controlled speech, these inventions are challenging our understanding of what’s real and what’s science fiction.
Analysis
Rewriting the AI playbook: How Meta plans to win through openness
What happens when one of the world’s biggest tech giants bets its future not on control, but on giving its most powerful AI tools away for free?
Analysis
Breaking down the OEWG’s legacy: Hits, misses, and unfinished business
The OEWG on cybersecurity (2019–2025) shaped global debates on digital security—but did it deliver? External experts weigh in on its lasting impact, while our team, who tracked the process from day one, dissect the milestones and missed opportunities.
DW monthly
Digital Watch newsletter – Issue 100
Issue 100: In our #100 May 2025 issue, we unpack the EU’s crackdown on platform accountability, Google’s antitrust battles, intensifying US-China tech chess over TikTok and chips, a global race for AI and quantum breakthroughs, the UK’s crypto surge, and Geneva’s lead in shaping digital diplomacy and cybersecurity frameworks.
DW WEEKLY
DW Weekly #217 – Reassessment of digital sovereignty strategies, data governance and exposure, and global crypto adoption
DW Weekly #217 Reassessment of digital sovereignty strategies, data governance and exposure, global crypto adoption
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.