Beirut, March 24, 2026 — Israel’s war on Lebanon continues to escalate, intensifying its targets on critical infrastructure like connecting routes and bridges, and digital aggressions continue reaching residents. Meanwhile, GCC countries remain heavily impacted by the US–Israeli war on Iran, with its effects increasingly visible on the digital front.

Below are the latest updates on the state of digital rights during the regional war.

Some GCC states attempt to build alternative routes for data

Stellenbosch University’s Policy Innovation Lab has joined the Global Network of Internet & Society Centers (NoC), coordinated by the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. This makes SU one of only three members from Africa, and the only South African university represented in the network, says Prof Willem Fourie, head of the Policy Innovation Lab.

Das KI-Tool OneTutor wurde im Sommersemester 2025 in 84 Lehrveranstaltungen an zehn bayerischen Hochschulen eingesetzt und begleitend vom bidt empirisch untersucht. Die Studienergebnisse basieren auf Befragungen von bis zu rund 1.000 Studierenden und 31 Dozierenden sowie auf Nutzungsdaten aus dem System.

“Artificial Intelligence” in Switzerland 2024: Rapid Diffusion and Increasing Digital Inequality

Daniela Jaramillo-Dent wins Best Seminar Award for outstanding teaching

New publications on techno-religion, human augmentation technologies, internet use in Switzerland

Vortragsreihe: Wie Digitalisierung und Künstliche Intelligenz unsere Gesellschaft verändern

Generative AI is Taking Over Everyday Life in Switzerland: From Experimentation to Regular Use

Two Awards at SACM 2025 for the Media Change and Innovation Division

Michael Reiss successfully defended his cumulative dissertation  

Internet Use as Everyday Religion on the Rise, Cyborgization Still in its Early Stages

Kiran Kappeler successfully defended her dissertation

Den Auftakt zum SZ Digitalgipfel machte Bundesdigitalminister Dr. Karsten Wildberger mit einer Keynote zur Staatsmodernisierung im digitalen Zeitalter. Er betonte, dass leistungsfähige Infrastruktur und eine moderne Verwaltung zentrale Voraussetzungen für Wettbewerbsfähigkeit seien. Dabei sei ein wichtiger Schritt die Entwicklung einheitlicher Standards für digitale Verwaltungsstrukturen – etwa durch eine souveräne Cloud-Infrastruktur, über die künftig Bürger-Apps, digitale Verwaltungsservices und KI-Anwendungen laufen sollen.

Dungkäfer beseitigen in Wäldern den Kot von Wildtieren und hemmen damit die Ausbreitung von Parasiten. Den Dung arbeiten sie in den Boden ein und liefern somit Nährstoffe an Pflanzen. Diese Aufgabe erfüllen sie sowohl in europäischen Wirtschaftswäldern als auch im Amazonas. Steigende Temperaturen könnten jedoch zu einem Rückgang der Artenvielfalt und der Populationsgrößen von Dungkäfern führen.

The Dutch Open Government Act (Wet open overheid) has the potential to act as a game changer, as it will require governments to disclose these administrative decisions proactively to everyone.
The post Open Data Day essay #5: ‘Decisions under the public eye: a promising set of open data’ first appeared on Open Knowledge Blog.

The Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information was launched in 2024 as an initiative to encourage research institutions and research funders to actively contribute to the open availability of research information.
The post Open Data Day essay #4: ‘Open access and open data alone are not enough’ first appeared on Open Knowledge Blog.

The best way to promote a more transparent government is by showing the value and importance of the data that is already open and available.
The post Open Data Day essay #3: ‘Datagraver’ first appeared on Open Knowledge Blog.

Today, we understand that openness alone is not enough to generate lasting and structural impact. Open without structure is like a library without a catalogue.
The post Open Data Day essay #2: ‘From OPEN to FAIR’ first appeared on Open Knowledge Blog.

Although there are many examples of how open data reuse generates societal value, this potential is sometimes forgotten in political debates on open governance.
The post Open Data Day essay #1: ‘Data is a goldmine, if you share it’ first appeared on Open Knowledge Blog.

Interview with Pilar Sáenz from Fundación Karisma.
The introduction of Digital Tribulations, a series of intellectual interviews on the developments of digital sovereignty in Latin America, can be read here.