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The Geneva Internet Platform's Digital Watch observatory features over 50 digital policy areas, classified under seven baskets:  Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, Human Rights, Legal and Regulatory issues, Economic issues, Development, and Sociocultural issues. Although this categorisation was needed for the purposes of classifying the policy areas into broad areas, many of the digital policy areas interact with other areas in different clusters.

This taxonomy was first developed in 1997 by Dr Jovan Kurbalija, and then introduced in the book An Introduction to Internet Governancenow in its 7th edition. It was later adopted in DiploFoundation's Internet governance courses.

The taxonomy is under regular development to account for emerging trends and new developments in this vibrant process. Today, the same taxonomy has been adopted in the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development's report on Mapping of international Internet public policy issues, and in the GIPO initiative sponsored by the European Commission.