Countries

Digital Snapshot – Key Policies and Laws

A leading multistakeholder in digital policymaking, Australia is actively engaged across cybersecurity, AI, online safety, data protection and other digital fields. Australia’s Data and Digital Government Strategy (with annual implementation plan updates, including the 2025 Implementation Plan) sets the Australian Government’s roadmap for modernising public services, while the mandated Digital Experience Policy has been in effect since 1 January 2025. In addition, the country’s auIGF serves as a platform for national dialogue on Internet governance (see below for more about auIGF).

AI governance is tightening on two fronts: within government and across platforms. From 15 December 2025, the Australian Government’s updated Policy for the responsible use of AI in government strengthened requirements around agency strategy, accountability and risk-based controls, aiming to prevent poorly governed AI from becoming embedded in public administration.

Such an advanced digital geostrategy expands digital identity and digital service delivery, tightening platform accountability for online harms, and establishing a more transparent framework for ‘safe and responsible’ AI, particularly where automated systems directly interact with citizens. The government’s late-2025 National AI Plan frames this as competitiveness and productivity plus safeguards, while the under-16 social media crackdown shows how quickly the agenda moves from policy to day-to-day enforcement.

Australia’s under-16 social media ban

Australia’s social media minimum age regime (under-16s) took effect on 10 December 2025, and an early implementation illustrating enforcement at scale is Meta’s disclosure that it deactivated more than 500,000 suspected under-16 accounts across Instagram, Facebook and Threads in the first days around commencement, showing both the ambition of the rule and the practical challenge of age assurance. By 16 January 2026 major social media platforms restricted access to approximately 4.7 million accounts linked to children under 16 across Australia, following the introduction of the national social media minimum age requirement.

Still regarding platform accountability and child safety online, in the long-running dispute with X over an eSafety transparency notice on child sexual exploitation and abuse material, Australia’s Full Federal Court rejected X Corp’s appeal, an episode demonstrating that global platforms still face domestic disclosure obligations. Separately, eSafety issued Telegram an infringement notice of AU$957,780 for delaying its response to a transparency reporting notice by over five months, turning ‘platform accountability’ into measurable deadlines and penalties.

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A concrete, highly operational example of digital governance is Australia’s national Digital ID framework, established under the Digital ID Act 2024, which is now functioning as national infrastructure rather than a niche login tool. A one-year report from the finance portfolio stated that the system had reached 15 million myIDs and 80 million verified transactions through the Australian Government Digital ID System (AGDIS), with the government explicitly signalling the next step: preparing the system to welcome accredited providers and broaden ecosystem participation.

In the broader digital economy, Australia shows high uptake of cashless/mobile payment behaviours: the Reserve Bank of Australia reports that, for Australian-issued cards, about 39% of debit and 33% of credit/charge transactions were made using mobile wallets. Cyber policy is organised around the 2023–2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy, which frames national priorities through six ‘cyber shields’.

In the UN’s 2024 E-Government Development Index (EGDI), Australia is listed with an EGDI value of 0.9577 and ranked 8 (out of 193). Domestically, the mandated Digital Experience Policy sets whole-of-government benchmarks for consistent service quality, and its Digital Transformation Agency has highlighted Australia’s placement in the top 5 of the OECD Digital Government Index.

The auIGF

The Australian Internet Governance Forum (auIGF) is Australia’s national, multistakeholder internet-governance forum (modelled on the global IGF) that brings together government, industry, civil society, academia and the technical community to discuss digital policy priorities and produce practical outputs. Its most recent full forum, auIGF 2025, ran as a hybrid event in Adelaide and online on 23–24 September 2025, drawing over 200 participants, and it adopted, by consensus, a 2025 Position Paper on a shared ‘social contract’ for digital well-being, alongside agreed-upon messages for international coordination.

Australia’s permanent mission to the UN:

The Australian Government’s ‘Australia in Switzerland, Bern and Geneva’ site hosts the Australian Permanent Mission to the Office of the UN and Conference on Disarmament (Geneva) and information related to Australia’s Geneva-based representation (including WTO coverage). Australia’s Permanent Representative in Geneva is Ms Clare Walsh, appointed as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN and the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.

Official website: https://geneva.mission.gov.au/

Related news on dig.watch

• Australia’s social media age limit prompts restrictions on millions of under-16 accounts
• Australia raises concerns over AI misuse on X
• Australia weighs risks and rewards of rapid AI adoption
• Under-16 social media use in Australia: A delay or a ban?
• Australia enforces under-16 social media ban as new rules took effect

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Digital Snapshot – Key Policies and Laws

Sierra Leone’s digital agenda is being built around a dense policy stack rather than a single flagship law. The main public anchors are the Digital Development Policy (2021), the National Digital Development Strategy (2023), the National Data Strategy (2023), the National Innovation and Digital Strategy (2019–2029), the National Broadband Strategy (2023–2028), and public cyber policy and strategy documents listed by MoCTI. In the UN’s 2024 index, Sierra Leone ranked 172/193 overall in e-government, but its E-Participation rank improved to 120/193 from 157/193 in 2022, a notable gain in citizen-facing digital engagement.

The most consequential current governance development is data protection. In September 2025, the government opened nationwide consultations on what it called Sierra Leone’s first data protection law, followed in October by a pre-legislative review of the draft Data Protection and Right to Access Information Regulatory Commission Bill, 2025. This reform would sit alongside the older Right of Access to Information Act, 2013, which already gives Sierra Leone a transparency framework but not a full personal-data regime.

Data first, AI next

Sierra Leone is advancing a draft data protection law, described by authorities in 2025 as the country’s first comprehensive framework for regulating personal data. The proposed legislation follows nationwide consultations and is intended to define rules for data collection, processing, and oversight in a context where no full data protection regime is yet in force. In parallel, the government has launched an AI readiness assessment to examine infrastructure, skills, and regulatory capacity as a basis for a future national AI strategy. These processes are led by government ministries responsible for information, communication, and innovation, with support from international partners. Existing governance tools relevant to both areas currently include the Cyber Security and Crime Act (2021) and access-to-information legislation.

On AI governance, Sierra Leone is still in a preparation phase. In late 2025, MoCTI said it was leading an AI Readiness Assessment with World Bank support to evaluate infrastructure, skills, and the policy environment ahead of a future national AI strategy; the older Innovation and Digital Strategy already identifies applied AI for governance as a policy area. The result is a governance model in which AI is being folded into broader digital-transformation planning, while the legal and regulatory architecture is still incomplete.

On cybersecurity and infrastructure, Sierra Leone has moved further from strategy into operational capability. The legal basis is the Cyber Security and Crime Act, 2021, and the state also has public cybersecurity policy and strategy documents on MoCTI’s resource page. In January 2025, the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre announced the launch of a national CSIRT and digital forensics lab. At the same time, infrastructure resilience remains a major issue: the government’s own Digital Transformation Project states that Sierra Leone still relies on a single submarine fibre cable, which is why talks on a second submarine cable began in 2025.

Sierra Leone’s digital economy is growing, but still at an early stage. The US International Trade Administration says e-commerce is still nascent, with mobile-money services such as Orange Money, Africell Money, and WAVE serving as the main payment rails; MoCTI’s published Electronic Transaction Bill 2019 shows that the legal basis for online transactions remains incomplete. Sierra Leone also lacks a separate public 5G strategy; 5G is instead embedded in the National Broadband Strategy, while cloud and other emerging technologies are being developed through broader digital-economy and infrastructure plans rather than a dedicated cloud policy.

The country has a relatively broad strategy base, active work on privacy law, an AI-readiness process, a live cybersecurity build-out, and a strong focus on broadband, data, and public digital systems through the US$50 million Sierra Leone Digital Transformation Project.

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Sierra Leone’s permanent mission to the UN:

Official UNOG website: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/blue-book/missions/member-states/sierra-leone

EMBASSY AND PERMANENT MISSION TO THE UN – GENEVA

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Vanuatu has made notable progress in digital access: by early 2025, internet penetration reached approximately 45.7 %, with around 151,000 users, while social media usage stood at 39.3 % of the population—among the higher rates in the least developed Pacific nations. Mobile connectivity is particularly strong, with 315,000 mobile connections, amounting to 95 % of the population; remarkably, nearly 96.4 % of these connections support broadband (3G/4G) services—placing Vanuatu among the top regional performers in mobile‐broadband diffusion.

From an infrastructure standpoint, Vanuatu benefits from relatively high mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants (66.5) and a high active SIM penetration (82.5 %)—well above regional averages and indicating strong mobile access and digital inclusion potential across urban and provincial areas. While fixed‑broadband remains modest, the widespread mobile broadband adoption positions Vanuatu ahead of many Pacific peers in connectivity resilience and access scalability.

Despite its small scale, Vanuatu’s digital ecosystem is strategically positioned—supported by infrastructure like the ICN1 submarine cable, local digital platforms, and inclusive awareness initiatives. These factors combine to deliver some of the highest mobile‑broadband coverage and active SIM penetration rates in the Pacific.

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Uruguay has one of the highest internet penetration rates in Latin America, with over 90% of households connected to the internet. This widespread connectivity results from initiatives like Plan Ceibal, which provided laptops and internet access to students nationwide, helping bridge the digital divide. Uruguay’s government has implemented comprehensive e-government platforms that allow citizens to access a wide range of public services online. The Agencia de Gobierno Electrónico y Sociedad de la Información y del Conocimiento (AGESIC) oversees these efforts, ensuring that digital services are user-friendly and secure.

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The digital economy in the US accounted for approximately $2.41 trillion in current-dollar value added in 2021. This figure highlights the substantial contribution of digital activities to the nation’s GDP, demonstrating the sector’s robust growth even during challenging economic periods. The digital economy’s growth rate significantly outpaced the overall U.S. economy, with real value added growing by 9.8 percent from 2020 to 2021, compared to the overall GDP growth of 5.7 percent in the same period​.

The United States is a global leader in the development and application of artificial intelligence (AI). The 2024 Government AI Readiness Index, produced by Oxford Insights, ranks the United States as the top country in terms of AI readiness. The AI landscape in the US is characterized by a robust ecosystem that includes pioneering research institutions, leading technology companies, significant government initiatives, and a strong regulatory framework. This ecosystem fosters innovation and positions the US at the forefront of AI advancements.

Key components of the AI landscape

1. Research and development
   • Academic institutions: Renowned universities such as MIT, Stanford, and Carnegie Mellon are at the cutting edge of AI research, contributing to breakthroughs in machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and robotics.
   • Government research: Agencies like DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) and NSF (National Science Foundation) fund and conduct high-impact AI research, focusing on both foundational technologies and practical applications.
2. Technology companies
   • Big Tech leaders: Companies such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, and Facebook are leading the development of AI technologies. They invest heavily in AI research and development, producing cutting-edge innovations and deploying AI in various products and services.
   • Startups and innovation: The US is home to a vibrant startup ecosystem, with numerous AI-focused startups driving innovation in areas such as healthcare, finance, autonomous vehicles, and cybersecurity.
3. Government initiatives and policies
   • The National AI Initiative Act of 2020: This act established a coordinated federal program to accelerate AI research, development, and deployment across the U.S. government.
   • AI research institutes: The establishment of AI research institutes by NSF focuses on multidisciplinary research to address societal challenges and advance AI technologies.
   • The American AI Initiative: Launched in 2019, this initiative aims to ensure American leadership in AI by promoting investment in AI research, unleashing AI resources, removing barriers to AI innovation, and preparing the workforce for the AI era.
   • US President’s Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (2020): This executive order emphasizes the importance of developing AI that is safe, secure, and trustworthy. It mandates federal agencies to prioritize AI research and development that aligns with these principles and to ensure that AI systems are designed and deployed in ways that are ethical and protective of civil liberties and privacy.
4. Public-private partnerships
   • Collaborations between government agencies, academia, and industry are crucial for advancing AI. Initiatives such as the Partnership on AI bring together stakeholders to address AI’s ethical, social, and economic impacts.
5. Ethics and regulation
   • Ethical frameworks: Organizations like the IEEE and the Partnership on AI develop ethical guidelines to ensure responsible AI development and deployment.
   • Regulatory approaches: The US government is working on developing regulations that balance innovation with the protection of privacy, security, and civil liberties. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other regulatory bodies are involved in crafting policies for AI governance.

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Timor-Leste’s strongest digital asset is its demographic profile and mobile reach. Over 70% of the population is under 35, one of the highest youth shares in the world, with a median age of approximately 20, providing the country with a significant ‘digital native’ base for future adoption. Mobile penetration is high for a low-income, small state: there were around 1.67–1.75 million mobile connections in 2024–2025, equivalent to roughly 120–124% of the population, and Timor-Leste is among the Southeast Asian markets where more than a quarter of smartphone users are mobile-only, rarely using Wi-Fi.

In terms of the online information environment, Timor-Leste is a regional outlier in a positive sense. On RSF’s World Press Freedom Index, it ranked 20th of 180 countries in 2024, still classed as ‘relatively free’ and explicitly described as one of Asia’s leading countries for press freedom. A 2025 legal analysis notes that Timor-Leste now has the best press-freedom score in ASEAN, making it the bloc’s top performer on this media and online-expression indicator as it moves toward full membership.

Timor-Leste also exhibits notable strengths in youth digital engagement and emerging digital finance, compared to many countries at a similar income level. Studies highlight that young people are active on social media and increasingly visible as digital rights advocates, while initiatives like the UNDP’s Youth Accelerator Lab utilise online tools and even AI-supported polling to incorporate youth perspectives into national policymaking. In the financial services sector, despite low overall literacy, approximately a quarter of adults already use digital or mobile wallets, and these services now reach the majority of villages, positioning Timor-Leste among the more dynamic digital payment environments in the Pacific’s least-developed economies.

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Zambia’s digital profile is shaped by fast-growing networks, early next-gen rollouts, and strong payment rails for a landlocked economy. On connectivity, the country was an early Sub-Saharan adopter of 5G (MTN launched commercially in Nov 2022; Airtel followed in Jul 2023), while overall subscriptions kept climbing in 2024 (23.2 m mobile lines; 13.5 m internet subscriptions, both up year-on-year). Zambia augments east-coast subsea capacity (via SEACOM/EASSy) with west/south corridors (WACS/Equiano) carried over cross-border fibre, diversification that’s been expanding through new routes such as the SADC Highway link toward Livingstone. It also moved early among regional peers to license Starlink (service live since Oct 2023), improving reach for remote sites and back-up links.

In digital finance, Zambia is one of the region’s stronger examples of interoperable instant payments: the National Financial Switch (ZECHL) connects banks, mobile-money providers and other PSPs so users can move funds wallet to wallet and wallet to bank across providers, an architecture highlighted in AfricanNenda’s case study and in recent national announcements. On the cloud side, government-backed INFRATEL operates Tier III (Design)-certified data-centre capacity in Lusaka (with additional sites in Lusaka and Kitwe), giving the public sector and local businesses in-country hosting options uncommon among lower-middle-income peers. Together with steady subscription growth and maturing infrastructure diversity, these features place Zambia near the regional frontier on a few practical indicators, interoperable payments, early 5G readiness, LEO satellite licensing, and government-grade local hosting, without yet matching the continent’s top performers on overall usage levels or speeds.

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