29 June 2016

The following is summary of the most recent IEEE Global Internet Governance Monitor report. To access the full reports containing additional details and other news items, please join the Internet Technology Policy Community on IEEE Collabratec.

In Europe this week the principle political focus has been on the UKs decision to exit from the EU and the influence this will have on digital issues. The result of the EU referendum will likely impact EU regulations on net neutrality and cyber skills following the exit of one of the largest member states.

These changes will have a direct impact on the EUs cyber security as a new report show that the decline in cyber skills will reduce the ability of European states to protect themselves from cyber threats.

On cyber privacy, the EU and US have moved closer to finalizing the Privacy Shield agreement, however industry experts have been given little information on the details of the treaty.

In the United States the Defense Departments successful hack the pentagon programme may influence other government departments such as the Health Department to replicate the intentional hacking programme to test their cyber security measures.

Elsewhere in cybersecurity the American Cyber Command will not cut Islamic State off from the Internet as they are wary of setting a precedent of denying anyone in any position from access to the internet.

For American cyber privacy the announcement by a District Court judge will allow the FBI to access private information through their Tor network hacking practices without first having to acquire a court warrant.

This week saw a major change for Chinese digital policy as one of the chief regulators and negotiators with international companies Lu Wei has been replaced by his deputy Xu Lin.

Also in China this week there has been news that the country will move closer to implementing a controversial cyber security law that would require all personal information on Chinese citizens to be housed in China, a potentially significant development for foreign businesses.

Following recent restrictions to public sector internet access in Singapore the government have announced that a new Cybersecurity law will be introduced in 2017.

Elsewhere in the world, Russia has announced that their lower legislative house the Duma will allow state security services to have access to all digital data in Russia upon request under new counter-terrorism legislation.

In global institutional news ICANNs first meeting following its transition from US government control will be held in Hydrabad, India, where many significant decisions are expected to be made.