On Thursday April 3, 2025 at 7:30pm-8:30pm EDT (11:30-00:30 UTC) the Accessibility NYC Meetup (A11yNYC) hosts a meetup ‘Tools of the Trade: Accessibility Without the Cost‘. Deque Systems Developer Advocate Jeremy Rivera will explore how to leverage free accessibility tools to create more inclusive digital experiences, using a variety of powerful, no-cost resources that help developers, designers, and content creators identify and resolve accessibility issues efficiently.
Annually attracting over 600 attendees, the State of the Net Conference provides unparalleled opportunities to network and engage on key policy issues. It is also the only Internet policy conference with over 50 percent of Congressional staff and government policymakers in attendance, making it the perfect setting to explore important, emerging trends.
01 Welcome / Introductions (yt | txt | sum) Tim Lordan – Executive Director, Internet Education Foundation
02 Keynote with Beth Williams (yt | txt | sum) Hon. Beth Williams – Board Member, Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board
03 Fireside Chat with Representative Jay Obernolte (yt|txt|sum) Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-CA) Maria Curi – Tech Policy Reporter, Axios
04 Keynote with Senator Edward Markey (yt | txt | sum) Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA)
05 Keynote with Senator Marsha Blackburn (yt | txt | sum) Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
06 AI Governance: Will the USG Lead A New Policy Framework? (yt | txt | sum) Samir Jain – Vice President, Policy Center for Democracy & Technology Olivia Zhu – Former Assistant Director for AI Policy, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Chip Pickering – CEO, INCOMPAS Neil Chilson – Head of AI Policy, Abundance Institute
Moderator: Mohar Chatterjee – Computational Journalist, POLITICO
07 Deepfakes and the Digital Self: Legislation, Innovation, Or Cooperation? (yt | txt | sum) Jamie Susskind – Legislative Director for Sen. Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Senate Rick Lane – Chief Executive Officer, Iggy Ventures, LLC Jeremy Grant – Managing Director, Venable LLP Shoshana Weissmann – Digital Director and Policy Fellow, R Street Institute
Moderator: Natalie Alms – Staff Reporter, NextGov
08 Revisiting Broadband Competition: Is New Federal Framework Needed? (yt | txt | sum) Angie Kronenberg – President & CEO, Sligo Solutions LLC Michael O’Rielly – Strategic Advisor & Advocate, MPORielly Nathan Leamer– Chief Executive Officer, Fixed Gear Strategies Kathryn de Wit – Project Director, Broadband Access Initiative, The Pew Moderator: Kelcee Griffis – Telecom Reporter, Bloomberg News
09 Emerging Tech Under Trump (yt | txt | sum) Matt Perault – Head of AI Policy, A16Z John Mitchell – Senior Manager, Government Affairs, CTA Kristin Smith – Chief Executive Officer, Blockchain Association Diane Rinaldo – Executive Director, Open RAN Miranda Nazzaro – Technology Reporter, The Hill
10 The Future of Online Safety for Kids: Legislative Changes on the Horizon (yt | txt | sum) Amina Fazlullah – Head of Tech Policy Advocacy, Common Sense Media Andrew Zack – Policy Manager, Family Online Safety Institute Shae Gardner – Director of Policy & Research, LGBT Tech Maureen Flatley – Stop Child Predators Advisor
Moderator: Margaret McGill – Director of Policy Engagement, Carnegie Mellon University
11 The Geopolitics of the Internet: How Will Trump Reframe the New World Order (yt | txt | sum) Luke Hogg – Director of Policy and Outreach, Foundation for American Innovation Ari Schwartz – Managing Director of Cybersecurity Services and Policy, Venable LLP Milton Mueller – Professor of Public Policy, Georgia Tech James Lewis – Senior Vice President, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Moderator: Maggie Miller – Cybersecurity Reporter, POLITICO
12 Fireside Chat with Travis LeBlanc (yt | txt | sum) Hon. Travis LeBlanc – ex Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board Brian Fung – Tech Reporter, CNN
13 Keynote with Shira Perlmutter (yt | txt | sum) Shira Perlmutter – Director and Register of Copyrights, U.S. Copyright Office
14 AI at Work: Making the Digital Transformation Work for Everyone (yt | txt | sum) Brent Orrell – Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute Amber Ezzell – Policy Counsel, Future of Privacy Forum Athina Kanioura – Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, PepsiCo
Moderator: Steven Overly – Host and Producer, POLITICO Tech
15 Tech Competition Policy: From Hipster To Trumpster Antitrust (yt | txt | sum) Jennifer Huddleston – Senior Fellow in Technology Policy, Cato Institute Jenn Taylor Hodges – Director of US Public Policy & Government Relations, Mozilla Svetlana Gans – Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP Avery Gardiner – Global Competition Policy, Spotify
Moderator: Leah Nylen – Antitrust Reporter, Bloomberg News
16 The Frontiers For Free Speech In The Trump Era: The Content Moderator’s Dilemma (yt | txt | sum) Yael Eisenstat – Senior Fellow, Cybersecurity for Democracy, Jacob Mchangama – Executive Director, The Future of Free Speech Project Joel Thayer – President, Digital Progress Institute Ari Cohn – Lead Counsel, Tech Policy, Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
Moderator: Oma Seddiq – Tech Policy Reporter, Bloomberg Government
17 Keynote with Commissioner Anna Gomez (yt | txt | sum) Hon. Anna Gomez – Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission
LIGHTNING TALKS (will be recorded and posted to archive)
L01 Safety By Design: What Role Should Artificial Intelligence Play in User Safety? – Matt Kaufman, Roblox (yt | txt | sum) L02 Beyond the Algorithm: Safeguarding Children in the Age of Character AI – Danielle Davis (yt | txt | sum) L03 Legislating Protections Against Unauthorized Digital Replicas – Andrew Foglia, U.S. Copyright Office (yt | txt | sum) L04 AI in Cybersecurity: A Sword or Shield? – Reema Moussa, Goodwin (yt | txt | sum) L05 Covenants Without the Sword – Vaibhav Garg, Comcast (yt | txt | sum) L06 Q&A – AI & Digital Trust (yt | txt | sum)
L07 Exploring Preference Signals for AI with Creative Commons – Shanna Hollich, Creative Commons (yt | txt | sum) L08 Beyond Fragmentation: Re-networking Internet Infrastructure to Achieve Strategic Autonomy – Juan Ortiz Freuler, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism (yt | txt | sum) L09 LunaNet to MarsLink: Building the First Internet Infrastructure in Space – Nick Reese, Frontier Industry (yt | txt | sum) L10 Fiber vs LEO Satellite: The Most Economically Efficient Way to Deliver Quality Broadband for All – Shahan Osman and Michael Kende, Analysys Mason (yt | txt | sum) L11 Link Taxes and the Online Information Ecosystem: What’s at Stake? – Tricia McCleary, Computer & Communications Industry Association (yt | txt | sum) L12 Q&A – Internet Infrastructure & Foundations (yt | txt | sum) L13 TC Authority Over AI: Looking Back at 2024 – Andy Jung, TechFreedom (yt | txt | sum) L14 Regulating Public Sector AI in States: How Policymakers Should Move in 2025 – Maddy Dwyer, Center for Democracy & Technology (yt | txt | sum) L15 Free Flow of Information Shapes the Internet. What Happens if Information is Restricted? – Taylor Downs, ACT | The App Association (yt|txt | sum) L16 Community Notes: An Internet-Scale Approach to Addressing Misleading Information, Found Helpful Across the Political Spectrum – Keith Coleman, X (yt | txt | sum) L17 Differentiated, Personalized, and Transparent Online Search – Joseph Jerome, DuckDuckGo (yt | txt | sum) L18 Q&A – Information & Regulation (yt | txt | sum)
On February 5 2025 DigitalReach hosted a panel ‘The Future of Content Moderation in Southeast Asia‘. Experts discussed the human rights implications of recent changes in the content policies of major social media platforms, in particular, Facebook, for users and governments in the region.
SPEAKERS Associate Professor Dr. Aim Sinpeng – Department of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney Ellen Tordesillas – Co-Founder and President, VERA Files Septiaji Eko Nugroho – Chairperson, MAFINDO
MODERATOR Ploy Chanprasert – Founder, DigitalReach
The collection and disclosure of DNS registration data have evolved chaotically, influenced by GDPR and other privacy laws. The system, while improving privacy, has enabled bad actors and raised costs for registrars and registries. At this event, experts will explore Project Jake’s framework for balancing privacy with legitimate data needs, emphasizing policy clarity, efficiency, and adaptability.
Project Jake is a project that addresses issues related to the accuracy and use of contact information in the Whois database. The project’s name honors Elizabeth “Jake” Feinler, who was central to the development of the Whois database.
SPEAKERS Brian Beckham – Internet Dispute Resolution Section, WIPO Christine Runnegar Dave Piscitello – Interisle Consulting Group LLC Elliot Noss – Tucows Inc., Gabriel Andrews – FBI Ignas Anfalovas – IPXO Dr. James Galvin – Identity Digital John McElwaine – IP Attorney Jothan Frakes – PLISK.COM Nigel Hickson – DSIT, UK Rod Rasmussen – Cybersecurity expert Frederico Neves – nic.br Steve Crocker – Edgemoor Research Institute (ERI)
MODERATOR Lori S. Schulman – International Trademark Association (INTA)
On Thursday & Friday January 30-31, 2025 the 9th Trinidad and Tobago Internet Governance Forum (TTIGF) will be held as a hybrid event. TTIGF 2025 has the theme ‘Building Our Multistakeholder Digital Future‘. The theme was inspired by the UNIGF 2024 theme as an important area that needs to reach the local discussion forum for a way forward in Trinidad and Tobago’s Internet Governance. It will include a Youth Forum on Day 2.
09:05 Welcome and Introduction Jacqueline Morris – Chair, Trinidad and Tobago Multistakeholder Advisory Group (TTMAG) Sally Wentworth – President & Chief Executive Officer, Internet Society & Internet Society Foundation Cory Belfon – Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Digital Transformation John Outridge – Chief Executive Officer, Trinidad and Tobago International Finance Centre (TTIFC) Javed Sajad – Artificial Intelligence Legal and Policy Consultant, LACNIC
09:30 Panel Session: AI in Education: Navigating the Future Dr. Andrew Hunte – Chairman, National Institute of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (NIHERST) Dr. Lev Gonick – Chief Information Officer, Arizona State University
Moderator: Jacqueline Morris – Director, TTMAG
11:10 Presentation: Cybersecurity in Trinidad & Tobago Ajmal Nazir – Director, TTMAG
12:40 Open Forum
JAN 31 2025 – TTIGF 2025:DAY 2
YOUTH FORUM
09:00 Opening Remarks
Dev Gosine – Vice-Chair, TTMAG
09:10 Youth Session: Bullying in the Cyber Age
Presentation
Youth-led Discussions
13:10 Panel Session: Digital Transformation and Financial Inclusion John Outridge – Chief Executive Officer, TTIFC Ian T. Alleyne – Founder, Paywise Shiva Bissessar – Managing Director, Pinaka Consulting Ltd.
Moderator: Ajmal Nazir – Director, TTMAG
14:45 Presentation: Using AI for Disaster Resilience in T&T Dr. Letetia Addison – Adjunct Lecturer, School of Science Computing and Artificial Intelligence, UWI
Moderator: Julie David – Director, TTMAG
15:25 Partner Showcase
15:30 CTU Session: Accelerating the involvement of Caribbean ccTLDs within the global ccTLD community
Panel Session 1: Diversity in The Caribbean and Latin America Region Dr. Pablo Rodriguez – Executive Vice President Gauss Research Laboratory Inc.; and GRC Member Sean Copeland – GRC Chair Alejandra Reynoso – ccNSO Chair Albert Daniels – ICANN
Moderator: Rodney Taylor – CTU
Panel Session 2: Building a Stronger Regional Community George Foster – Barbados Damien Harrigan – Anguilla Leendert Pengel – Curacao Don Slaunwhite – St. Maarten Elena Grimany – Cuba Max Larson Henry – Haiti
Moderator: Patrick Hosein – TTMAG
Panel Session 3: Future Collaboration and Next Steps
Moderator: Tracy Hackshaw – TTMAG
Closing and Wrap Up:
Identity Digital Rodney Taylor – CTU
16:30 Closing Address Dev Gosine – Vice-Chair, TTMAG
On Tuesday January 28 2025, at 12:00 WAT (11:00 UTC) the Internet Society Nigeria Chapterpresents a webinar in observance of Data Privacy Day, with the theme “Take Control of Your Data.” The discussions covered the necessity of understanding and exercising data privacy rights, the challenges in enforcing data protection laws, measures to safeguard biometric data, and securing personal information amidst the rise of fintech platforms. Additionally, strategies for raising awareness, especially in rural areas, were discussed. Closing remarks urged everyone to prioritize data privacy in their personal and professional lives.
INTRODUCTION Saheed Adodukan – ISOC Nigeria
PANEL Rowena Bernard Loveday Onyeanula Oche Paul
MODERATORS Igba Priscilla – Treasurer, ISOC Nigeria
On Friday 24 January 2025 the Internet Society Ethiopia Chapter hosts Ethiopia Peering Day in Addis Ababa. The event will bring together peering and interconnection decision makers from Content Distribution Networks (CDNs), infrastructure providers, Internet service providers (ISPs), Internet exchange points (IXPs), mobile network operators (MNOs), large enterprise networks, policymakers, Internet enthusiasts, and regulators. The speakers will address issues pertaining to peering and interconnection best practices, current and latest trends, global challenges, and opportunities.
Friday, 24 January 2025 (All times EAT = UTC+3:00)
09:00 Welcome and Opening Remarks (yt | otter) Welcome Remarks: Dawit Bekele – Regional Vice President for Africa, Internet Society Peering & IXPs, Where the Internet Lives: Robel K. – Technical Expert Building a Strong Peering Ecosystem in Ethiopia: Dr. Asrat M. – Ethiopia Internet Society Chapter Ethiopia Internet Exchange Point: Teshome – ADDIX Role of Carrier Neutral DC in promoting Peering: Ralph V. – Wingu Africa
11:00 Peering and Interconnection (yt) Peering and Interconnection – Being Open, Meta and it’s Edge: Ben Ryall – Meta (*Will not be streamed*) PeeringDB: Ben Ryall – Meta Peering & Peering Coordinators: Ghislain Nkeramugaba – IXP Development Expert, Internet Society Devoloping Peering Policies: Ghislain Nkeramugaba – IXP Development Expert, Internet Society
14:00 Measurement, Tools, and Automation (yt) Achieving Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa 2030 with Internet Number Resources Expansion: Cedric B. – AfriNIC Overview of Internet Resilience Measurements: Kevin Chege – Director, Internet Development, Internet Society Regional Peering & Transit: Ghislain Nkeramugaba – IXP Development Expert, Internet Society
This discussion aims to make the provisions of the Rules more understandable and relatable to a wider audience and provoke thoughts about the governance framework India needs and to encourage stakeholder(s) to make submissions.
On Thursday April 3, 2025 at 7:30pm-8:30pm EDT (11:30-00:30 UTC) the Accessibility NYC Meetup (A11yNYC) hosts a meetup ‘Tools of the Trade: Accessibility Without the Cost‘. Deque Systems Developer Advocate Jeremy Rivera will explore how to leverage free accessibility tools to create more inclusive digital experiences, using a variety of powerful, no-cost resources that help developers, designers, and content creators identify and resolve accessibility issues efficiently.
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