At the 20th Internet Governance Forum held in Lillestrøm, Norway, global leaders, industry experts, and creatives gathered for a high-level session exploring how AI is transforming the world of work. While the tone was broadly optimistic, participants wrestled with difficult questions about equity, regulation, and the ethics of data use.
AI’s capacity to enhance productivity, reshape industries, and bring solutions to health, education, and agriculture was celebrated, but sharp divides emerged over how to govern and share its benefits. Concrete examples showcased AI’s positive impact. Norway’s government highlighted AI’s role in green energy and public sector efficiency, while Lesotho’s minister shared how AI helps detect tuberculosis and support smallholder farmers through localised apps.
AI addresses systemic shortfalls in healthcare by reducing documentation burdens and enabling earlier diagnosis. Corporate representatives from Meta and OpenAI showcased tools that personalise education, assist the visually impaired, and democratise advanced technology through open-source platforms.
Yet, concerns about fairness and data rights loomed large. Actor and entrepreneur Joseph Gordon-Levitt delivered a pointed critique of tech companies using creative work to train AI without consent or compensation.
He called for economic systems that reward human contributions, warning that failing to do so risks eroding creative and financial incentives. This argument underscored broader concerns about job displacement, automation, and the growing digital divide, especially among women and marginalised communities.
Debates also exposed philosophical rifts between regulatory approaches. While the US emphasised minimal interference to spur innovation, the European Commission and Norway called for risk-based regulation and international cooperation to ensure trust and equity. Speakers agreed on the need for inclusive governance frameworks and education systems that foster critical thinking, resist de-skilling, and prepare workers for an AI-augmented economy.
The session made clear that the future of work in the AI era depends on today’s collective choices that must centre people, fairness, and global solidarity.
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The session, co-hosted by CityHub and AFICTA (Africa ICT Alliance), brought together experts from Africa, Asia, and Europe to explore how digital identity systems can foster inclusion, support cross-border services, and remain anchored in national sovereignty.
Speakers emphasised that digital identity is foundational for bridging the digital divide and fostering economic development. Dr Jimson Olufuye, Chair of AFICTA, stressed the existential nature of identity in the digital age, noting, ‘If you cannot identify anybody, it means the person does not exist.’ He linked identity inclusion directly to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) action lines and the Global Digital Compact goals.
Several national examples were presented. From Nigeria, Abisoye Coker-Adusote, Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), shared how the country’s National Identification Number (NIN) has been integrated into banking, education, telecoms, and census services. ‘We’ve linked NINs from birth to ensure lifelong digital access,’ she noted, adding that biometric verification now underpins school enrolments, student loans, and credit programmes.
Representing Benin, Dr Kossi Amessinou highlighted the country’s ‘It’s Me’ card, a digital ID facilitating visa-free travel within ECOWAS. He underscored the importance of data localisation, asserting, ‘Data centres should be located within Africa to maintain sovereignty.’
Technical insights came from Debora Comparin, co-founder of CityHub, and Naohiro Fujie, Chair of the OpenID Foundation Japan. Comparison called for preserving the privacy characteristics of physical documents in digital forms and stressed the need for legal harmonisation to build trust across borders.
No digital identity system can work without mutual trust and clarity on issuance procedures,’ she said. Fujie shared Japan’s experience transitioning to digital credentials, including the country’s recent rollout of national ID cards via Apple Wallet, noting that domestic standards should evolve with global interoperability in mind.
Tor Alvik, from Norway’s Digitisation Agency, explained how cross-border digital identity remains a challenge even among closely aligned Nordic countries. ‘The linkage of a person’s identity between two systems is one of the hardest problems,’ he admitted, describing Norway’s regional interoperability efforts through the EU’s eIDAS framework.
Panelists agreed on key themes: digital identities must be secure, inclusive, and flexible to accommodate countries at varying digital readiness levels. They also advocated for federated data systems that protect sovereignty while enabling cooperation. Dr Olufuye proposed forming regional working groups to assess interoperability frameworks and track progress between IGF sessions.
As a forward step, several pilot programmes were proposed—pairing countries like Nigeria with neighbours Cameroon or Niger—to test cross-border digital ID systems. These initiatives, supported by tools and frameworks from CityHub, aim to lay the groundwork for a truly interoperable digital identity landscape across Africa and beyond.
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North Korean hackers have reportedly used deepfake technology to impersonate executives during a fake Zoom call in an attempt to install malware and steal cryptocurrency from a targeted employee.
Cybersecurity firm Huntress identified the scheme, which involved a convincingly staged meeting and a custom-built AppleScript targeting macOS systems—an unusual move that signals the rising sophistication of state-sponsored cyberattacks.
The incident began with a fraudulent Calendly invitation, which redirected the employee to a fake Zoom link controlled by the attackers. Weeks later, the employee joined what appeared to be a routine video call with company leadership. In reality, the participants were AI-generated deepfakes.
When audio issues arose, the hackers convinced the user to install what was supposedly a Zoom extension but was, in fact, malware designed to hijack cryptocurrency wallets and steal clipboard data.
Huntress traced the attack to TA444, a North Korean group also known by names like BlueNoroff and STARDUST CHOLLIMA. Their malware was built to extract sensitive financial data while disguising its presence and erasing traces once the job was done.
Security experts warn that remote workers and companies have to be especially cautious. Unfamiliar calendar links, sudden platform changes, or requests to install new software should be treated as warning signs.
Verifying suspicious meeting invites through alternative contact methods — like a direct phone call — is a vital but straightforward way to prevent damage.
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At the 2025 Internet Governance Forum in Lillestrøm, Norway, the African Union’s Open Forum served as a critical platform for African stakeholders to assess the state of digital governance across the continent. The forum featured updates from the African Union Commission, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and voices from governments, civil society, youth, and the private sector.
The tone was constructive yet urgent, with leaders stressing the need to move from declarations to implementation on long-standing issues like digital inclusion, infrastructure, and cybersecurity. Dr Maktar Sek of UNECA highlighted key challenges slowing Africa’s digital transformation, including policy fragmentation, low internet connectivity (just 38% continent-wide), and high service costs.
He outlined several initiatives underway, such as a continent-wide ICT tax calculator, a database of over 2,000 AI innovations, and digital ID support for countries like Ethiopia and Mozambique. However, he also stressed that infrastructure gaps—especially energy deficits—continue to obstruct progress, along with the fragmentation of digital payment systems and regulatory misalignment that hinders cross-border cooperation.
The Dar es Salaam Declaration from the recent African IGF in Tanzania was a focal point, outlining nine major challenges ranging from infrastructure and affordability to cybersecurity and localised content. Despite widespread consensus on the problems, only 17 African countries have ratified the vital Malabo Convention on cybersecurity, a statistic met with frustration.
Calls were made to establish a dedicated committee to investigate ratification barriers and to draft model laws that address current digital threats more effectively. Participants repeatedly emphasised the importance of sustainable funding, capacity development, and meaningful youth engagement.
Several speakers challenged the habitual cycle of issuing new recommendations without follow-through. Others underscored the need to empower local innovation and harmonise national policies to support a pan-African digital market.
As the session concluded, calls grew louder for stronger institutional backing for the African IGF Secretariat and a transition toward more binding resolutions—an evolution participants agreed is essential for Africa’s digital aspirations to become reality.
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Since 2015, 21 June marks the International Day of Yoga, celebrating the ancient Indian practice that blends physical movement, breathing, and meditation. But as the world becomes increasingly digital, yoga itself is evolving.
No longer limited to ashrams or studios, yoga today exists on mobile apps, YouTube channels, and even in virtual reality. On the surface, this democratisation seems like a triumph. But what are the more profound implications of digitising a deeply spiritual and embodied tradition? And how do emerging technologies, particularly AI, reshape how we understand and experience yoga in a hyper-connected world?
Tech and wellness: The rise of AI-driven yoga tools
The wellness tech market has exploded, and yoga is a major beneficiary. Apps like Down Dog, YogaGo, and Glo offer personalised yoga sessions, while wearables such as the Apple Watch or Fitbit track heart rate and breathing.
Meanwhile, AI-powered platforms can generate tailored yoga routines based on user preferences, injury history, or biometric feedback. For example, AI motion tracking tools can evaluate your poses in real-time, offering corrections much like a human instructor.
While these tools increase accessibility, they also raise questions about data privacy, consent, and the commodification of spiritual practices. What happens when biometric data from yoga sessions is monetised? Who owns your breath and posture data? These questions sit at the intersection of AI ethics and digital rights.
Beyond the mat: Virtual reality and immersive yoga
The emergence of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) is pushing the boundaries of yoga practice. Platforms like TRIPP or Supernatural offer immersive wellness environments where users can perform guided meditation and yoga in surreal, digitally rendered landscapes.
These tools promise enhanced focus and escapism—but also risk detachment from embodied experience. Does VR yoga deepen the meditative state, or does it dilute the tradition by gamifying it? As these technologies grow in sophistication, we must question how presence, environment, and embodiment translate in virtual spaces.
Can AI be a guru? Empathy, authority, and the limits of automation
One provocative question is whether AI can serve as a spiritual guide. AI instructors—whether through chatbots or embodied in VR—may be able to correct your form or suggest breathing techniques. But can they foster the deep, transformative relationship that many associate with traditional yoga masters?
AI lacks emotional intuition, moral responsibility, and cultural embeddedness. While it can mimic the language and movements of yoga, it struggles to replicate the teacher-student connection that grounds authentic practice. As AI becomes more integrated into wellness platforms, we must ask: where do we draw the line between assistance and appropriation?
Community, loneliness, and digital yoga tribes
Yoga has always been more than individual practice—community is central. Yet, as yoga moves online, questions of connection and belonging arise. Can digital communities built on hashtags and video streams replicate the support and accountability of physical sanghas (spiritual communities)?
Paradoxically, while digital yoga connects millions, it may also contribute to isolation. A solitary practice in front of a screen lacks the energy, feedback, and spontaneity of group practice. For tech developers and wellness advocates, the challenge is to reimagine digital spaces that foster authentic community rather than algorithmic echo chambers.
Digital policy and the politics of platformised spirituality
Beyond the individual experience, there’s a broader question of how yoga operates within global digital ecosystems. Platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok have turned yoga into shareable content, often stripped of its philosophical and spiritual roots.
Meanwhile, Big Tech companies capitalise on wellness trends while contributing to stress-inducing algorithmic environments. There are also geopolitical and cultural considerations.
The export of yoga through Western tech platforms often sidesteps its South Asian origins, raising issues of cultural appropriation. From a policy perspective, regulators must grapple with how spiritual practices are commodified, surveilled, and reshaped by AI-driven infrastructures.
Toward inclusive and ethical design in wellness tech
As AI and digital tools become more deeply embedded in yoga practice, there is a pressing need for ethical design. Developers should consider how their platforms accommodate different bodies, abilities, cultures, and languages. For example, how can AI be trained to recognise non-normative movement patterns? Are apps accessible to users with disabilities?
Inclusive design is not only a matter of social justice—it also aligns with yogic principles of compassion, awareness, and non-harm. Embedding these values into AI development can help ensure that the future of yoga tech is as mindful as the practice it seeks to support.
Toward a mindful tech future
As we celebrate International Day of Yoga, we are called to reflect not only on the practice itself but also on its evolving digital context. Emerging technologies offer powerful tools for access and personalisation, but they also risk diluting the depth and ethics of yoga.
For policymakers, technologists, and practitioners alike, the challenge is to ensure that yoga in the digital age remains a practice of liberation rather than a product of algorithmic control. Yoga teaches awareness, balance, and presence. These are the very qualities we need to shape responsible digital policies in an AI-driven world.
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At the 2025 Internet Governance Forum in Lillestrøm, Norway, parliamentarians from around the world gathered to share perspectives on how to regulate harmful online content without infringing on freedom of expression and democratic values. The session, moderated by Sorina Teleanu, Diplo’s Director of Knowledge, highlighted the increasing urgency for social media platforms to respond more swiftly and responsibly to harmful content, particularly content generated by AI that can lead to real-world consequences such as harassment, mental health issues, and even suicide.
Pakistan’s Anusha Rahman Ahmad Khan delivered a powerful appeal, pointing to cultural insensitivity and profit-driven resistance by platforms that often ignore urgent content removal requests. Representatives from Argentina, Nepal, Bulgaria, and South Africa echoed the need for effective legal frameworks that uphold safety and fundamental rights.
Argentina’s Franco Metaza, Member of Parliament of Mercosur, cited disturbing content that promotes eating disorders among young girls and detailed the tangible danger of disinformation, including an assassination attempt linked to online hate. Nepal’s MP Yogesh Bhattarai advocated for regulation without authoritarian control, underscoring the importance of constitutional safeguards for speech.
Member of European Parliament, Tsvetelina Penkova from Bulgaria, outlined the EU’s multifaceted digital laws, like the Digital Services Act and GDPR, which aim to protect users while grappling with implementation challenges across 27 diverse member states.
Youth engagement and digital literacy emerged as key themes, with several speakers emphasising that involving young people in policymaking leads to better, more inclusive policies. Panellists also stressed that education is essential for equipping users with the tools to navigate online spaces safely and critically.
Calls for multistakeholder cooperation rang throughout the session, with consensus on the need for collaboration between governments, tech companies, civil society, and international organisations. A thought-provoking proposal from a Congolese parliamentarian suggested that digital rights be recognised as a new, fourth generation of human rights—akin to civil, economic, and environmental rights already codified in international frameworks.
Other attendees welcomed the idea and agreed that without such recognition, the enforcement of digital protections would remain fragmented. The session concluded on a collaborative and urgent note, with calls for shared responsibility, joint strategies, and stronger international frameworks to create a safer, more just digital future.
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A coalition of cybersecurity agencies, including the NSA, FBI, and CISA, has issued joint guidance to help organisations protect AI systems from emerging data security threats. The guidance explains how AI systems can be compromised by data supply chain flaws, poisoning, and drift.
Organisations are urged to adopt security measures throughout all four phases of the AI life cycle: planning, data collection, model building, and operational monitoring.
The recommendations include verifying third-party datasets, using secure ingestion protocols, and regularly auditing AI system behaviour. Particular emphasis is placed on preventing model poisoning and tracking data lineage to ensure integrity.
The guidance encourages firms to update their incident response plans to address AI-specific risks, conduct audits of ongoing projects, and establish cross-functional teams involving legal, cybersecurity, and data science experts.
With AI models increasingly central to critical infrastructure, treating data security as a core governance issue is essential.
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Tech support scammers have exploited the websites of major firms such as Apple, Microsoft, and Netflix to trick users into calling them. Using sponsored ads and a technique known as search parameter injection, scammers have manipulated legitimate support pages to display fake helpline numbers.
Victims searching for 24/7 support are directed to genuine websites where misleading search results prominently show fraudulent numbers. According to researchers, the address bar shows the official URL, reducing suspicion and increasing the likelihood that users will call the scammers.
Once connected, the fraudsters pose as legitimate staff and attempt to steal sensitive information, including personal data, payment details or access to victims’ devices. Financial services sites like Bank of America and PayPal have also been targeted, with attackers aiming to drain accounts.
Experts warn that while some scams are easy to spot, others appear highly convincing, especially on sites like Apple’s and Netflix’s. Users are urged to verify contact details through official channels rather than relying on search results or ads.
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Google has launched its advanced AI Mode search experience in India, allowing users to explore information through more natural and complex interactions.
The feature, previously available as an experiment in the US, can now be enabled in English via Search Labs. Users test experimental tools on this platform and share feedback on early Google Search features.
Once activated, AI Mode introduces a new tab in the Search interface and Google app. It offers expanded reasoning capabilities powered by Gemini 2.5, enabling queries through text, voice, or images.
The shift supports deeper exploration by allowing follow-up questions and offering diverse web links, helping users understand topics from multiple viewpoints.
India plays a key role in this rollout due to its widespread visual and voice search use.
According to Hema Budaraju, Vice President of Product Management for Search, more users in India engage with Google Lens each month than anywhere else. AI Mode reflects Google’s broader goal of making information accessible across different formats.
Google also highlighted that over 1.5 billion people globally use AI Overviews monthly. These AI-generated summaries, which appear at the top of search results, have driven a 10% rise in user engagement for specific types of queries in both India and the US.
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Cloudflare has blocked what it describes as the largest distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack ever recorded after nearly 38 terabytes of data were unleashed in just 45 seconds.
The onslaught generated a peak traffic rate of 7.3 terabits per second and targeted nearly 22,000 destination ports on a single IP address managed by an undisclosed hosting provider.
Instead of relying on a mix of tactics, the attackers primarily used UDP packet floods, which accounted for almost all attacks. A small fraction employed outdated diagnostic tools and methods such as reflection and amplification to intensify the network overload.
These techniques exploit how some systems automatically respond to ping requests, causing massive data feedback loops when scaled.
Originating from 161 countries, the attack saw nearly half its traffic come from IPs in Brazil and Vietnam, with the remainder traced to Taiwan, China, Indonesia, and the US.
Despite appearing globally orchestrated, most traffic came from compromised devices—often everyday items infected with malware and turned into bots without their owners’ knowledge.
To manage the unprecedented data surge, Cloudflare used a decentralised approach. Traffic was rerouted to data centres close to its origin, while advanced detection systems identified and blocked harmful packets without disturbing legitimate data flows.
The incident highlights the scale of modern cyberattacks and the growing sophistication of defences needed to stop them.
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