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| War on Iran |
| The Fake Images of a Real Strike on a School An AI-generated image depicting military equipment inside an Iranian elementary school circulated shortly before a separate school was hit by a U.S. airstrike. The article traces how synthetic media and actual violence became entangled, complicating verification and public understanding of the attack. It examines the shifting epistemology of conflict imagery, where algorithmic fabrication and physical events increasingly blur. Read more here. The Dangerous Rise of “Dual-Use” Objects in War The article shows that the targeting of dual-use objects over the last several decades has blurred the line between “military objectives” that are considered legitimate targets of military force, and civilians and “civilian objects,” which are to be strictly protected. The article argues that the United States has played a critical role in the increasingly expansive targeting of dual-use objects. Read more here. Silence as Policy: How Gulf States Are Criminalizing Documentation of Iran’s Attacks This report examines legal and policy measures restricting documentation of Iranian military actions in Gulf countries. Governments are criminalizing information sharing and limiting journalistic practices in ways that shape what can be reported. The article frames these developments within broader trends of information control and surveillance. Read more here. How AI Content Detection is Being Weaponized in the Iran War This article examines the use of AI content detection technologies in the context of the Iran conflict. It analyses how these tools are deployed to identify and regulate information flows and raises questions about the politicization of automated verification systems. More information here. |
| Commentaries |
| The Gulf was Silicon Valley’s bet on the future. Trump has put it in the crosshairs The article explores risks to Gulf-based AI and data infrastructure amid escalating geopolitical tensions involving the United States and Iran. It focuses on vulnerabilities of large-scale data centers and cloud investments. It situates AI expansion within broader security dynamics and industry narratives. Read more here. Five Years After Coup, Myanmar’s Digital Authoritarianism Enters New Phase This analysis details how Myanmar’s military junta has institutionalized digital repression through internet shutdowns, biometric surveillance, and a centralized tracking system. It highlights the role of foreign states in supplying surveillance infrastructure in the context of recent sham elections and calls for coordinated international accountability. Read more here. The (Poly)Market Nobody Knows How to Govern This analysis examines the regulatory vacuum surrounding prediction markets such as Polymarket and Kalshi, caught between a depleted Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and state gambling authorities. It documents patterns of insider and wash trading that challenge claims of crowd wisdom, exposing jurisdictional conflicts over the role of such platforms in democratic life. Read more here. Untethering South America from US Cables After Rubio Pressures Chile in Trans-Pacific Efforts to reduce reliance on U.S.-linked digital infrastructure are gaining traction in South America. The article looks at political pressures influencing Chile’s connectivity strategies and what that means for regional digital sovereignty. The text situates submarine cable governance within regional geopolitical realignments. Read more here. |
| Research Reports and Articles |
| Hidden Histories of Technology and Cybernetics in Latin America This essay brings to light lesser-known histories of cybernetics and technological development in Latin America, pushing back against dominant North Atlantic narratives. It highlights regional intellectual traditions and contributions that have often been left out of mainstream accounts, redefining conversations on decolonizing technology history. Find more information here. Access Now Report on Internet shutdowns in 2025 Internet shutdowns reached a new record high in the past year, continuing the steady increase since 2020. Access Now’s new report, Rising repression meets global resistance: Internet shutdowns in 2025, documents how democratic and autocratic governments alike deploy them to silence, collectively punish, and terrorize populations, as well as to hide human rights violations and killings. Read the report here. |
| Books |
| The Need to Rename Tech Language shapes how we understand technology, and this book digs into the politics behind naming practices in the field. It proposes alternative terminologies that better capture the social and political dimensions of technological systems. More information here. Colonial Surveillance: Technologies of Identification and Control in Japan’s Empire This book offers an analysis of surveillance practices within colonial governance systems across Asian regions. It traces how monitoring and data collection were used to enable Japan’s Empire administrative control and population management. The work draws connections between these historical practices and contemporary surveillance regimes. Read more here. AI Infrastructures and Sustainability: Expanding Perspectives on Automation, Communication and Media This open access edited volume explores the environmental and societal implications of AI infrastructures. It brings together perspectives on automation, media systems, and sustainability. The book emphasizes material and ecological dimensions of digital technologies. More information here. |
| News Articles |
| India’s Facial Recognition Drive on Hungry Children Is Erasing Them This investigation examines the deployment of facial recognition in India’s welfare distribution systems. It documents how biometric verification failures exclude beneficiaries from food and nutrition schemes. The article highlights structural issues in digital identity systems affecting access to public services. Read more here. Western AI models “fail spectacularly” in farms and forests abroad AI tools trained on Western datasets tend to underperform when applied to agricultural and environmental settings in the Global South. The article shows how these models struggle to recognize local crops, ecosystems, and farming practices. A clear case for why locally adapted data and models matter. Read more here. Morocco’s AI minister on building Africa’s “third voice” This interview outlines Morocco’s strategy to position Africa as an independent actor in global AI governance. It focuses on investments in infrastructure, talent development, and regulatory frameworks. The concept of a “third voice” reflects efforts to balance global technological influence. Read the interview here. Activists move to court to stop AI rollout in Kenya over rights concerns Activists in Kenya have taken legal action to halt AI system deployment, citing concerns about privacy, civil rights, and insufficient regulatory safeguards. The case captures growing tensions around how emerging technologies are governed, and several legal challenges emerging across the region. Read more here. Russia’s Max: The unencrypted super-app being forced on citizens This report examines the rollout of a state-backed super-app in Russia and concerns over data security. Highlighting the absence of encryption and pressures on citizens to adopt the platform, the article situates the app within expanding digital governance and control mechanisms. Read more here. |
| Tools/ Policy Briefs |
| Worker Mobilizations around AI in Arts, Culture, and Media This global tracker documents worker-led mobilizations related to AI across cultural and media sectors. It compiles data on strikes, protests, and campaigns internationally. The resource supports research on labour responses and worker-led AI governance. Access it here. ARM Project Outputs on Transnational Information Manipulation This collection of policy briefs and toolkits examines transnational information suppression strategies by states including Russia, China, Ethiopia, and Rwanda. It focuses on impacts on diaspora communities and information ecosystems. The outputs provide recommendations for countering censorship and supporting independent media. Read the reports here Legiscraft proposal for intelligence oversight in Brazil This white paper outlines a framework for intelligence oversight and governance in Brazil. It indicates an institutional redesign aimed at building an effective system for the accountability of intelligence activities, paving the road for a newlegal framework for parliamentary, judicial, specialized, and social oversight. More information here. |
| Conferences |
| INDL-9 – International Network on Digital Labor The 9th edition of the International Network on Digital Labor conference is set to take place in Geneva from 9–11 September 2026. The gathering brings together researchers and practitioners working on digital labor, platform economies, and related fields. Abstract submissions remain open until 30 April. Read more here. |