Critical internet resources

Efforts to address internet fragmentation take centre stage at IGF 2025 in Norway

On the final day of the Internet Governance Forum 2025 in Lillestrøm, Norway, stakeholders from governments, civil society, technical communities, and the private sector gathered to launch the new work cycle of the Policy Network on Internet Fragmentation (PNIF). Now entering its third year, the PNIF unveiled a structured framework to analyse internet fragmentation across three dimensions: user experience, internet governance coordination, and the technical infrastructure layer.

The session emphasised the urgent need for international cooperation to counter growing fragmentation threats, as enshrined in paragraph 29C of the Global Digital Compact. Speakers raised alarm over how political and economic forces are re-shaping the global internet.

With internet shutdowns and digital censorship increasingly normalised as tools of state control—highlighted by Iran’s recent 90-million-person shutdown—concerns about sovereignty overriding openness were prominent. Michel Lambert described this shift as a ‘political normalisation of network control.’

Marilia Maciel, Director of Digital Trade and Economic Security at Diplo, emphasised how trade and investment policies fuel economic fragmentation. Cuts to internet freedom funding were highlighted by both Lambert and Joyce Chen, who noted severe consequences for underserved regions like the Pacific.

Marilia Maciel
Marilia Maciel, Director of Digital Trade and Economic Security at Diplo

From the technical community, Dhruv, representing the Internet Architecture Board, stressed the importance of safeguarding the internet’s interoperability by including technical experts in regulatory processes. Joyce Chen also pointed to successful coordination initiatives such as the Technical Community Coalition on Multi-Stakeholderism (TCCM).

Naim Gjokaj, State Secretary in Montenegro, offered a government perspective, advocating for stronger legal frameworks and regional coordination to avoid inadvertent fragmentation while supporting connectivity in rural areas.

The session concluded with a call to action: PNIF will focus its upcoming work on developing concrete, risk-based recommendations to implement the Global Digital Compact. Co-facilitators Sheetal Kumar and Bruna Santos encouraged broad community participation, aiming to deliver a final report by 1 November.

Despite the challenges, the atmosphere remained collaborative and forward-looking, reinforcing the importance of inclusive dialogue to ensure the internet remains a unified, accessible, and resilient resource for all.

Track all key moments from the Internet Governance Forum 2025 on our dedicated IGF page.

UNESCO and ICANN lead push for multilingual and inclusive internet governance

At the 2025 Internet Governance Forum in Lillestrøm, Norway, experts gathered to discuss how to involve diverse communities—especially indigenous and underrepresented groups—better in the technical governance of the internet. The session, led by Niger’s Anne Rachel Inne, emphasised that meaningful participation requires more than token inclusion; it demands structural reforms and practical engagement tools.

Central to the dialogue was the role of multilingualism, which UNESCO’s Guilherme Canela de Souza described as both a right and a necessity for true digital inclusion. ICANN’s Theresa Swinehart spotlighted ‘Universal Acceptance’ as a tangible step toward digital equality, ensuring that domain names and email addresses work in all languages and scripts.

Real-world examples, like hackathons with university students in Bahrain, showcased how digital cooperation can bridge technical skills and community needs. Meanwhile, Valts Ernstreits from Latvia shared how international engagement helped elevate the status of the Livonian language at home, proving that global advocacy can yield local policy wins.

The workshop addressed persistent challenges to inclusion: from bureaucratic hurdles that exclude indigenous communities to the lack of connections between technical and policy realms. Panellists agreed that real change hinges on collaboration, mentorship, and tools that meet people where they are, like WhatsApp groups and local capacity-building networks.

Participants also highlighted UNESCO’s roadmap for multilingualism and ICANN’s upcoming domain name support program as critical opportunities for further action. In a solution-oriented close, speakers urged continued efforts to make digital spaces more representative.

They underscored the need for long-term investment in community-driven infrastructure and policies that reflect the internet’s global diversity. The message was clear: equitable internet governance can only be achieved when all voices—across languages, regions, and technical backgrounds—are heard and empowered.

Track all key moments from the Internet Governance Forum 2025 on our dedicated IGF page.

Kurbalija’s book on internet governance turns 20 with new life at IGF

At the Internet Governance Forum 2025 in Lillestrøm, Norway, Jovan Kurbalija launched the eighth edition of his seminal textbook ‘Introduction to Internet Governance’, marking a return to writing after a nine-year pause. Moderated by Sorina Teleanu of the Diplo, the session unpacked not just the content of the new edition but also the reasoning behind retaining its original title in an era buzzing with buzzwords like ‘AI governance’ and ‘digital governance.’

Kurbalija defended the choice, arguing that most so-called digital issues—from content regulation to cybersecurity—ultimately operate over internet infrastructure, making ‘Internet governance’ the most precise term available.

The updated edition reflects both continuity and adaptation. He introduced ‘Kaizen publishing,’ a new model that replaces the traditional static book cycle with a continuously updated digital platform. Driven by the fast pace of technological change and aided by AI tools trained on his own writing style, the new format ensures the book evolves in real-time with policy and technological developments.

Jovan book launch

The new edition is structured as a seven-floor pyramid tackling 50 key issues rooted in history and future internet governance trajectories. The book also traces digital policy’s deep historical roots.

Kurbalija highlighted how key global internet governance frameworks—such as ICANN, the WTO e-commerce moratorium, and UN cyber initiatives—emerged within months of each other in 1998, a pivotal moment he calls foundational to today’s landscape. He contrasted this historical consistency with recent transformations, identifying four key shifts since 2016: mass data migration to the cloud, COVID-19’s digital acceleration, the move from CPUs to GPUs, and the rise of AI.

Finally, the session tackled the evolving discourse around AI governance. Kurbalija emphasised the need to weigh long-term existential risks against more immediate challenges like educational disruption and concentrated knowledge power. He also critiqued the shift in global policy language—from knowledge-centric to data-driven frameworks—and warned that this transformation might obscure AI’s true nature as a knowledge-based phenomenon.

As geopolitics reasserts itself in digital governance debates, Kurbalija’s updated book aims to ground readers in the enduring principles shaping an increasingly complex landscape.

Track all key moments from the Internet Governance Forum 2025 on our dedicated IGF page.

IGF panel urges rethinking internet governance amid rising geopolitical tensions

At the 2025 Internet Governance Forum in Lillestrøm, Norway, a session led by the German Federal Ministry for Digital Transformation spotlighted a bold foresight exercise imagining how global internet governance could evolve by 2040. Co-led by researcher Julia Pohler, the initiative involved a diverse 15-member German task force and interviews with international experts, including Anriette Esterhuysen and Gbenga Sesan.

Their work yielded four starkly different future scenarios, ranging from intensified geopolitical rivalry and internet fragmentation to overregulation and a transformative turn toward treating the internet as a public good. A central takeaway was the resurgence of state power as a dominant force shaping digital futures.

According to Pohler, geopolitical dynamics—especially the actions of the US, China, Russia, and the EU—emerged as the primary drivers across nearly all scenarios. That marked a shift from previous foresight efforts that had emphasised civil society or corporate actors.

The panellists underscored that today’s real-world developments are already outpacing the scenarios’ predictions, with multistakeholder models appearing increasingly hollow or overly institutionalised. While the scenarios themselves might not predict the exact future, the process of creating them was widely praised.

Panellists described the interviews and collaborative exercises as intellectually enriching and essential for thinking beyond conventional governance paradigms. Yet, they also acknowledged practical concerns: the abstract nature of such exercises, the lack of direct implementation, and the need to involve government actors more directly to bridge analysis and policy action.

Looking ahead, participants called for bolder and more inclusive approaches to internet governance. They urged forums like the IGF to embrace participatory methods—such as scenario games—and to address complex issues without requiring full consensus.

The session concluded with a sense of urgency: the internet we want may still be possible, but only if we confront uncomfortable realities and make space for more courageous, creative policymaking.

Track all key moments from the Internet Governance Forum 2025 on our dedicated IGF page.

World gathers in Norway to shape digital future

The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2025 opened in Lillestrøm, Norway, marking its 20th anniversary and coinciding with the World Summit on the Information Society Plus 20 (WSIS+20) review.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in a video message, underscored that digital cooperation has shifted from aspiration to necessity. He highlighted global challenges such as the digital divide, online hate speech, and concentrated tech power, calling for immediate action to ensure a more equitable digital future.

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Norwegian leaders, including Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Digitisation Minister Karianne Tung, reaffirmed their country’s commitment to democratic digital governance and human rights, echoing broader forum themes of openness, transparency, and multilateral cooperation. They emphasised the importance of protecting the internet as a public good in an era marked by fragmentation, misinformation, and increasing geopolitical tension.

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The ceremony brought together diverse voices—from small island states and the EU to civil society and the private sector. Mauritius’ President Dharambeer Gokhool advocated for a citizen-centered digital transformation, while European Commission Vice President Henna Virkkunen introduced a new EU international digital strategy rooted in human rights and sustainability.

Actor and digital rights activist Joseph Gordon-Levitt cautioned against unregulated AI development, arguing for governance frameworks that protect human agency and economic fairness.

Why does it matter?

Echoing across speeches was a shared call to action: to strengthen the multistakeholder model of internet governance, bridge the still-massive digital divide, and develop ethical, inclusive digital policies. As stakeholders prepare to delve into deeper dialogues during the forum, the opening ceremony made clear that the next chapter of digital governance must be collaborative, human-centered, and urgently enacted.

Track all key moments from the Internet Governance Forum 2025 on our dedicated IGF page.

Global South pushes for digital inclusion

At the 2025 Internet Governance Forum in Lillestrøm, Norway, global leaders, youth delegates, and digital policymakers convened to confront one of the most pressing challenges of the digital age: bridging the digital divide in the Global South. UN Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua highlighted that while connectivity has improved since 2015, 2.6 billion people—primarily in the least developed countries—remain offline.

The issue, however, is no longer just about cables and coverage. It now includes access to affordable devices, digital literacy, and the skills needed to navigate the internet safely and meaningfully.

A recurring concern throughout the session was the alarming decline in development funding—expected to drop by 38%—just as AI surges forward. Francis Gurry, former head of WIPO, warned that the rapid deployment of AI could deepen global inequalities if developing nations are left without the necessary support to build infrastructure or acquire technical expertise.

Several speakers, including ICANN co-chair Tripti Sinha, emphasised that beyond access, true digital inclusion hinges on governance models that prioritise openness, multistakeholder collaboration, and localised technical capacity, especially as state-led approaches risk fragmenting the global internet. In response, countries shared concrete initiatives.

China detailed its AI training workshops and digital cooperation programs with Global South nations. Malaysia showcased its nationwide digital literacy centres and grassroots AI training under its NADI initiative. Ghana’s Dr Nii Quaynor spotlighted Africa’s progress but underscored enduring gaps in infrastructure and capacity. All speakers agreed: the divide cannot be closed without coordinated global action, inclusive policies, and strategic investments.

The forum concluded with a united call for bottom-up solutions, cross-border cooperation, and sustained support for community-driven digital development. As the world prepares for the WSIS+20 review, there is cautious optimism that the commitments made in Lillestrøm will catalyse real progress in making digital inclusion a global reality.

Track all key moments from the Internet Governance Forum 2025 on our dedicated IGF page.

WGIG reunion sparks calls for reform at IGF 2025 in Norway

At the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2025 in Lillestrøm, Norway, a reunion of the original Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) marked a significant reflection and reckoning moment for global digital governance. Commemorating the 20th anniversary of WGIG’s formation, the session brought together pioneers of the multistakeholder model that reshaped internet policy discussions during the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).

Moderated by Markus Kummer and organised by William J. Drake, the panel featured original WGIG members, including Ayesha Hassan, Raul Echeberria, Wolfgang Kleinwächter, Avri Doria, Juan Fernandez, and Jovan Kurbalija, with remote contributions from Alejandro Pisanty, Carlos Afonso, Vittorio Bertola, Baher Esmat, and others. While celebrating their achievements, speakers did not shy away from blunt assessments of the IGF’s present state and future direction.

Speakers universally praised WGIG’s groundbreaking work in legitimising multi-stakeholderism within the UN system. The group’s broad, inclusive definition of internet governance—encompassing technical infrastructure and social and economic policies—was credited for transforming how global internet issues are addressed.

Participants emphasised the group’s unique working methodology, prioritising transparency, pluralism, and consensus-building without erasing legitimate disagreements. Many argue that these practices remain instructive amid today’s fragmented digital governance landscape.

However, as the conversation shifted from legacy to present-day performance, participants voiced deep concerns about the IGF’s limitations. Despite successes in capacity-building and agenda-setting, the forum was criticised for its failure to tackle controversial issues like surveillance, monopolies, and platform accountability.

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Jovan Kurbalija, Executive Director of Diplo

Speakers such as Vittorio Bertola and Avri Doria lamented its increasingly top-down character. At the same time, Nandini Chami and Ariette Esterhuizen raised questions about the IGF’s relevance and inclusiveness in the face of growing power imbalances. Some, including Bertrand de la Chapelle and Jovan Kurbalija, proposed bold reforms, including establishing a new working group to address the interlinked challenges of AI, data governance, and digital justice.

The session closed on a forward-looking note, urging the IGF community to recapture WGIG’s original spirit of collaborative innovation. As emerging technologies raise the stakes for global cooperation, participants agreed that internet governance must evolve—not only to reflect new realities but to stay true to the inclusive, democratic ideals that defined its founding two decades ago.

Track all key moments from the Internet Governance Forum 2025 on our dedicated IGF page.

IGF 2025 opens in Norway with focus on inclusive digital governance

Norway will host the 20th annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF) from 23 to 27 June 2025 in a hybrid format, with the main venue set at Nova Spektrum in Lillestrøm, just outside Oslo.

This milestone event marks two decades of the UN-backed forum that brings together diverse stakeholders to discuss how the internet should be governed for the benefit of all.

The overarching theme, Building Governance Together, strongly emphasises inclusivity, democratic values, and sustainable digital cooperation.

With participation expected from governments, the private sector, civil society, academia, and international organisations, IGF 2025 will continue to promote multistakeholder dialogue on critical topics, including digital trust, cybersecurity, AI, and internet access.

A key feature will be the IGF Village, where companies and organisations will showcase technologies and products aligned with global internet development and governance.

Norway’s Minister of Digitalisation and Public Governance, Karianne Oldernes Tung, underlined the significance of this gathering in light of current geopolitical tensions and the forthcoming WSIS+20 review later in 2025.

Reaffirming Norway’s support for the renewal of the IGF mandate at the UN General Assembly, Minister Tung called for unity and collaborative action to uphold an open, secure, and inclusive internet. The forum aims to assess progress and help shape the next era of digital policy.

Track all key moments from the Internet Governance Forum 2025 on our dedicated IGF page.

Denmark moves to replace Microsoft software as part of digital sovereignty strategy

Prior to the Danish government’s formal decision, the cities of Copenhagen and Aarhus had already announced plans to reduce reliance on Microsoft software and cloud services. The national government has now followed suit.

Caroline Stage, Denmark’s Minister of Digitalisation, confirmed that the government will begin transitioning from Microsoft Office to the open-source alternative, LibreOffice. The decision aligns with broader European Union efforts to enhance digital sovereignty—a concept referring to the ability of states to maintain control over their digital infrastructure, data, and technologies.

EU member states have increasingly prioritised digital sovereignty in response to a range of concerns, including security, economic resilience, regulatory control, and the geopolitical implications of dependency on non-European technology providers.

Among the considerations are questions about data governance, operational autonomy, and the risks associated with potential service disruptions in times of political tension. For example, reports following US sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) suggest that Microsoft temporarily restricted access to email services for the ICC’s Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, highlighting the potential vulnerabilities linked to foreign service providers.

Denmark’s move is part of a wider trend within the EU aimed at diversifying digital service providers and strengthening domestic or European alternatives. LibreOffice is developed by The Document Foundation (TDF), an independent, non-profit organisation based in Germany.

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RIPE NCC and Czech regulator partner to strengthen internet coordination

The RIPE NCC and the Czech Telecommunication Office (CTU) have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation in internet coordination and share technical expertise within the Czech Republic. The partnership focuses on training internet operators, collaborating on network measurements, and managing internet number resources.

It is part of a broader initiative by RIPE NCC to establish similar agreements with national regulators in countries like Georgia and Saudi Arabia, reflecting their commitment to closer regional cooperation. The Czech Republic is strategically positioned in European internet infrastructure, hosting several major data centres and internet exchange points (IXPs).

By facilitating collaboration between public and private sectors, the MoU aims to ensure that internet policies are developed with broad input and expertise. The CTU benefits from access to valuable data and technical knowledge that support national digital policy objectives.

Additionally, in a region where geopolitical tensions may affect internet infrastructure, this agreement promotes transparency and cooperation that help stabilise internet operations and build stakeholder trust. Overall, the RIPE NCC continues to evolve as a key technical partner in digital policy discussions across Europe and beyond.

The agreement highlights the need for close cooperation between technical bodies and regulators as digital infrastructure grows more complex, emphasising multistakeholder governance to improve stability and efficiency in Central and Eastern Europe.

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