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Regulating New Media in Africa: Politics, Law and Governance

Vincent Obia, Sulayman Bah, Yemisi Akinbobola, Oliver Carter (eds.)

Intellect (2026), xxviii, 241 pp.

"Drawing on a Global South perspective, 'Regulating New Media in Africa' offers valuable contributions to broader debates on media regulation, sovereignty, and internet governance. As one of the few books focused exclusively on the governance of new media across the African continent, it offers a ti ... more

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Digital Media Shadowing Democracy: Technology, Communication, and Power

Auksė Balčytienė, Péter Bajomi-Lázár, Helena Sousa (eds.)

Gothenburg: Nordicom, University of Gothenburg (2026), 282 pp.

"The book’s message is brief: Liberal democracies are at risk. Democratic decay has numerous causes, but technological innovations and profit-driven dynamics are shaping societal relations in ways that intensify disagreements and polarisation, undermining informed citizenship. The growing number o ... more

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Governance of Social Media Platforms and Regulation of Online Media in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye

Andia Sokol, Lamija Kovačević, Sinem Aydınlı, Amer Džihana, Marina Grnja Klaić, Mihajlo Lahtov, Ilda Londo, Vesna Rajković

South East European Network for Professionalization of Media (SEENPM) (2026), 81 pp.

"The purpose of this study is to identify the current state of regulatory frameworks governing social media platforms and online media, as well as the main challenges related to the moderation and curation of verified public interest information on these media platforms. The target countries that ar ... more

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Google Scholar (277)

WorldCat (254)

Governing Digital China

Daniela Stockmann, Ting Luo

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (2026), xx, 273 pp.

"China's approach to digital governance has gained global influence, often evoking Orwellian 'Big Brother' comparisons. Governing Digital China challenges this perception, arguing that China's approach is radically different in practice. This book explores the logic of popular corporatism, highlight ... more

Google Scholar (324)

WorldCat (326)

The Sage Handbook of Chinese Digital Media and Communication
Deep Insights

Jian Xu, Shaohua Guo, Weiyu Zhang (eds.)

London; Thousan Oaks (Cailf.) et al.: Sage (2026), 800 pp.

"Spanning activism, governance, labor, industry, everyday life, and research methods, the handbook offers a critical and interdisciplinary survey of the field. It explores how the internet and digital media have reshaped political participation, civil society, and national identity; how state regula ... more

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From Crisis to Renewal: Addressing AI’s Impact on Our Information Ecosystem

Lena-Maria Böswald, Roa Powell, Tyreese Calnan

Berlin: Interface – Tech Analysis and Policy Ideas for Europe (2026), 18 pp.

"As AI summaries summarise information directly within search results, they can significantly reduce traffic to news publishers. Evidence suggests users are less likely to click through to original sources when AIOs are present on Google, threatening the financial viability of journalism. These impa ... cts from AI summaries and AIOs in particular are unlikely to be evenly distributed and will play out in different ways across the news sector across Europe, with smaller and ad-funded outlets particularly vulnerable, raising concerns about declining media plurality. At the same time, AI-generated summaries often fail to provide accurate and diverse information. Research shows that AI tools disproportionately rely on a narrow set of sources, marginalising smaller publishers. In addition, persistent issues with accuracy – including misleading or incorrect outputs – risk distorting public understanding and weakening trust in information systems. Current regulatory frameworks in both the EU and UK are struggling to address these challenges effectively. While multiple legal instruments are relevant and already in place – including competition law, platform regulation, copyright, and AI governance – none are fully equipped to respond quickly and comprehensively to the harms of monopolisation and the lack of remuneration for media outlets posed by AI summaries. We argue that competition policy offers the most effective and immediate route to intervention, with digital regulation serving as a secondary lever. The UK’s approach, based on flexible, case-specific competition rules, enables faster action through tailored conduct requirements for dominant firms like Google. In contrast, the EU’s framework is broader but slower, relying more heavily on traditional, time-intensive antitrust investigations and ongoing debates around copyright and remuneration for publishers. Both systems offer complementary strengths, and policymakers should learn from each other’s approaches. We therefore recommend a “competition-first” policy package to ensure fairer outcomes. Key measures include enforcing fair ranking and attribution practices, preventing unauthorised use of publisher content, and potentially requiring platforms to compensate news organisations. However, competition policy alone is not the key. We therefore propose additional long-term interventions, including greater transparency through “nutrition labels” for AI-generated content and increased public or democratic funding for journalism. These measures aim to strengthen the resilience and independence of the news sector, ensuring that trustworthy information remains accessible in an information ecosystem shaped by AI. more

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Unabhängige Expertenkommission „Kinder- und Jugendschutz in der digitalen Welt“: Bestandsaufnahme

Berlin: Bundesministerium für Bildung, Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (2026), 128 pp.

"Diese Bestandsaufnahme ist in der ersten Arbeitsphase der Unabhängigen Expertenkommission „Kinder- und Jugendschutz in der digitalen Welt“, zwischen Oktober 2025 und Februar 2026, von den 18 Mitgliedern der Kommission verfasst worden. Die Kommission hat drei Arbeitsgruppen gebildet, die jeweil ... more

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Digital Transformations: Social and Ethical Consequences of Rapid Technological Change

Cathrine E. Tømte, Jarle Trondal, Alexander Ruser, Gloria Ziglioli Alexander Ruser (eds.)

Edward Elgar Publishing (2026), x, 276 pp.

"This timely book explores how digital transformations are rapidly reshaping modern societies, including public service, business, educational, health and welfare systems. Leading experts in the field investigate the ways in which digital technologies increase both the demand for and promise of new ... more

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The Essential Convergence: Global Compact on Extreme AI Risks

Sundeep Waslekar, Ilmas Futehally, Jayantika Kutty

Mumbai: Strategic Foresight Group (2026), 90 pp.

"Supply-Side Governance: Progress and Limitations: Most existing AI governance frameworks focus on the supply side of the technology ecosystem. These measures regulate developers, model providers, and infrastructure operators responsible for building advanced systems. Supply-side mechanisms include: ... pre-deployment safety testing and red-teaming; model evaluation and capability assessments; transparency and reporting obligations; incident response mechanisms; restrictions on certain high-risk uses. Several jurisdictions are experimenting with these tools in different combinations. China has implemented regulatory standards for generative AI systems; the European Union has adopted a risk based regulatory framework; Brazil and South Korea are developing legislative approaches; and the United States has introduced a mixture of executive measures and sectoral rules. These frameworks represent important progress. However, they face two structural limitations. First, supply-side regulation depends heavily on the cooperation of a small number of developer states. Second, the growing distribution of AI models, through open-weight releases, cloud APIs, and downstream applications, means that many systems reach global markets beyond the jurisdiction where they were originally developed. This reality limits the effectiveness of purely supply-side approaches. Demand-Side Governance: A New Dimension of AI Regulation: The paper introduces a second dimension of governance that has received far less attention: demand-side oversight. Demand-side governance shifts the locus of control from the point of creation to the point of deployment. Instead of relying solely on developer-state regulations, importing countries can establish safety requirements for any AI systems operating within their markets. These requirements may include risk assessments, certification standards, procurement rules, insurance obligations, and infrastructure safeguards. The central insight is that states controlling large consumer markets, digital infrastructure, financial systems, or public procurement channels possess significant leverage over global AI deployment, even if they do not develop frontier models themselves. This demand-side leverage can reshape incentives across the global AI ecosystem. Developers seeking access to major markets must comply with the safety conditions imposed by importing states. This approach represents a strategic shift in global AI governance: from a developer-centric model to a market-driven model of safety enforcement. Countries across different regions possess different forms of demand-side power. Brazil and South Africa represent large emerging markets; the United Arab Emirates plays a major role in AI infrastructure investment; South Korea combines technological capability with advanced regulatory institutions. When coordinated, these forms of leverage could help establish global safety norms. The Case for a Global Compact: Given the limitations of purely national approaches, the paper proposes the development of a Global Compact on Extreme AI Risks. The Compact would not aim to harmonise all aspects of AI regulation. Instead, it would focus narrowly on the most severe risk categories and establish shared mechanisms for prevention, monitoring, and response. Five institutional pillars form the backbone of the proposed Compact. The five pillars in the Global Compact should not be treated as isolated measures but designed as an interoperable system in which each pillar reinforces and informs the others through shared definitions, compatible standards, and coordinated implementation mechanisms. To address extreme risks effectively, the Compact should rest on a small set of guiding principles: a human-centric principle to ensure protection of humanity and human dignity as the primary objective; technological neutrality so that safeguards apply across methods and architectures rather than specific tools; interoperability to enable national and regional AI frameworks to exchange information, align risk classifications, and coordinate responses; and mutual cooperation to institutionalize cross-border collaboration in prevention, incident reporting, and crisis management. These can be complemented by principles of proportional risk governance, scientific integrity, and shared responsibility, creating a coherent normative base that allows diverse governance models to function together as a connected global safety architecture." (Executive summary, pages 5-6) more

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Toward AI Governance Alignment in Africa, Middle East, and Türkiye (AMET) Region

Emma Ruttkamp-Bloem, Fola Adeleke, Jake Effoduh, Kebene Wodajo, Nagla Rizk, Olubayo Adekanmbi, Rachel Adams, Rami Alkarmi, Seani Rananga, Seydina Ndiaye, Shikoh Gitau, Tami Koroye

Global Center on AI Governance (GCG) (2026), 54 pp.

"The analysis begins by identifying the core “centric approaches” that guide Artificial Intelligence (AI) national strategies. These include security-anchored models driven by state control, innovation-led frameworks that prioritise competitiveness, rights-based regimes centred on fundamental pr ... otections, and developmental approaches focused on public service delivery and technological catch-up. Each approach expresses incentives, risk perceptions and administrative capacities. Out of these foundational choices, there are different groupings. Various regions within AMET are adopting recognisable patterns of regulation that reflect their political economies, institutional structures and geopolitical positions. These groupings are not static categories, but evolving alignments shaped by domestic pressures, supply-chain dependencies and shifting global power dynamics. Across all regions, a set of cross-cutting issues consistently shapes the regulatory landscape. Data protection and interoperability remain central, alongside growing demands for accountability, explainability and robust auditing. Standards and certification are emerging as tools for both trustbuilding and geopolitical influence. Sector-specific rules in finance, health, education and public administration are increasingly decisive. Capacity constraints, fiscal limits and uneven institutional strength continue to define what is realistically possible for many governments. Geopolitical tensions and cloud concentration reinforce questions around sovereignty, infrastructure control and long-term strategic autonomy. This report translates these insights into practical implications for states, regional bodies and technology firms. It highlights workable pathways for reconciling innovation with safety, managing cross-border data flows, and building resilient digital infrastructure. It also identifies areas where architecture choices such as regional cloud centres, culturally calibrated testing layers and tiered sovereignty models can support both regulatory goals and developmental priorities. The recommendations emphasise flexible alignment, cooperation through standards, and the need for shared mechanisms that accommodate political diversity while reducing fragmentation. Taken together, the framework provides a stable and operational way of understanding global AI regulation. It clarifies the interests driving different jurisdictions, the pressures that shape convergence or divergence, and the strategic considerations that technology firms and policymakers must navigate as the regulatory environment continues to evolve." (Executive summary) more

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Tributação das Big Techs e Jornalismo: Caminhos para o Brasil

Raphael Lavez, Isabella Panisson, Francisco Brito Cruz

Momentum Journalism & Tech Task Force (2025), 26 pp.

"A atuação e o modelo de negócio das grandes empresas de tecnologia remodelaram profundamente as dinâmicas econômicas de diversos setores, inclusive o do jornalismo. A concentração de receitas publicitárias em grandes plataformas aprofunda a crise estrutural da mídia, colocando em xeque a s ... more

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Safeguarding Media Freedom in the Age of Big Tech Platforms and AI: Policy Manual

Anya Schiffrin, Bojana Kostic, Iva Nenadic, Julia Haas, Natali Helberger, Natali, Max van Drunen

Vienna: OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (2025), 147 pp.

"With this Policy Manual, we provide guidance for building an information space free from oligopolistic control, resilient to manipulation, and supportive of independent, pluralistic media. This Policy Manual proposes both structural reforms and targeted mitigation measures – focusing on media vis ... more

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State of digital development and trends in Asia and the Pacific: Challenges and opportunities

Geneva: ITU (2025), iv, 53 pp.

"[...] While mobile broadband covers over 95 per cent of the population, disparities persist. High-income economies lead in 5G deployment and innovation, while lower-income countries face infrastructure, affordability, and digital literacy gaps. The urban-rural divide remains, and women and marginal ... more

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State of digital development and trends in the Africa region: Challenges and opportunities

Geneva: ITU (2025), iv, 49 pp.

"This publication reveals that the gap between ambition and reality remains wide. Mobile broadband coverage has expanded rapidly, offering most of the population the possibility of going online. And yet, only 38 per cent of the population currently uses the Internet—the lowest rate among all ITU r ... more

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State of digital development and trends in the CIS region: Challenges and opportunities

Geneva: ITU (2025), iv, 47 pp.

"This publication offers a comprehensive overview of digital development in the CIS region. The data reveal a region where nine in ten people are online—well above the global average—and where mobile broadband networks now cover virtually the entire population. These are important milestones. At ... more

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Inclusive and Secure Artificial Intelligence: A Global Perspective on Policy and Technical Developments
Deep Insights

Saiph Savage, Lili Savage

Stuttgart: Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa) (2025), 84 pp.

"As AI systems are developed and deployed, they often reflect and reinforce dominant cultural norms, marginalizing non-Western languages, epistemologies, and communities. This report explores the systemic risks associated with algorithmic bias, digital colonialism, and cultural homogenization, while ... more

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Data Governance Toolkit: Navigating Data in the Digital Age
Key Guides

Working Group Report on Data Governance in the Digital Age

Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development; UNESCO; ITU (2025), 90 pp.

"This toolkit advocates taking a Human Rights-based approach to data governance. This means ensuring that data practices—across the full data lifecycle from collection to (re()use— should respect, protect, and fulfill the rights and freedoms of individuals and communities. This also entails trea ... more

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Information Ecosystems and Troubled Democracy: The State of Knowledge on News Media, AI, and Data Governance

Robin Mansell, Flavia Durach, Matthias C. Kettemann, Théophile Lenoir, Rob Procter, Gyan Prakash Tripathi, Emily Tucker

Göteborg: Nordicom, University of Gothenburg; Observatory on Information and Democracy (2025), 305 pp.

"A critical assessment of why today’s information ecosystems are troubling for democracy, this book, based on research in the Global North and Global Majority World, examines changes in news media, artificial intelligence, and data governance. It focuses on measures to improve the quality of publi ... more

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Estado de situación de la regulación de las plataformas digitales en Uruguay

Matías Jackson, Patricia Díaz

Montevideo: Datysoc Laboratorio de Datos y Sociedad de DATA Uruguay; Observacom (2025), 46 pp.

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AI in Africa: A Landscape Study

Rachel Adams, Fola Adeleke, Leah Junck, Samule Segun, Ayantola Alayande, Selamawit Abdella, Mark Gaffley, Fabio Andres Diaz Pabon, Funbi Salami

Global Center on AI Governance; African Observatory on Responsible AI (2025), 44 pp.

"Though comprehensive AI regulation is still nascent in Africa, there is an increased focus on national AI strategies, ethical guidelines and international collaborations. Over 40 countries have already established data protection and privacy laws, creating opportunities for harmonised regulations a ... nd a supportive environment for AI innovation. Key continental governance instruments and initiatives also include the African Union’s AI Strategy, the African Continental Free Trade Area and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. This report found that the increasing application of AI in key sectors across Africa, such as health, education, finance, agriculture, public services and the environment, necessitates a collaborative approach to ethical AI development and use. This requires addressing persistent infrastructural gaps, developing regional regulatory frameworks, investments in AI research and capacity building efforts as well as promoting multi-stakeholder AI governance initiatives. Key strategies identified include joint investment and funding, pooling resources and supporting sustainable and fair open-source projects, which will help direct efforts toward innovation and regional independence. Open Source AI models are particularly important in Africa where local tech startups can leverage global open-source initiatives to build context-specific solutions. However, concerns regarding data ownership, privacy and ethical AI deployment call for more robust policies for open source AI on the continent. To foster responsible AI innovation, African countries should establish comprehensive AI governance frameworks while adhering to existing laws as well as strengthen regulatory institutions to provide oversight over AI technologies. Regulatory sandboxing also offers a viable approach to enable sage experimentation with appropriate oversight. Regional and international cooperation as well as leveraging public-private partnerships can promote funding for expanding AI research and development initiatives, resolve talent shortages and promote infrastructure development. Africa has a unique opportunity to leverage AI, along with its resources and local young talent, for socioeconomic development. However, to ensure inclusivity and sustainable innovation, it is essential to address infrastructure challenges and establish regulatory frameworks that protect societal wellbeing. Embracing collaborative efforts, including open source initiatives, regional and international partnerships are critical for achieving the continent’s ambitious goals without leaving anyone behind." (Executive Summaty, page 3) more

The Sage Handbook of Chinese Digital Media and Communication Deep Insights

Inclusive and Secure Artificial Intelligence: A Global Perspective on Policy and Technical Developments Deep Insights

Data Governance Toolkit: Navigating Data in the Digital Age Key Guides

The Sage Handbook of Chinese Digital Media and Communication
Deep Insights

Inclusive and Secure Artificial Intelligence: A Global Perspective on Policy and Technical Developments
Deep Insights

Data Governance Toolkit: Navigating Data in the Digital Age
Key Guides