Who Runs the Internet? Online Regulation Takes Centre Stage at Ireland’s first Internet Governance Forum

Ireland’s inaugural Internet Governance Forum (IGF) took place last week, 22nd May in Dublin. This landmark event was hosted by .ie and organised by a multi-stakeholder team made up of experts that are passionate about internet governance. The event brought together experts from across business, government, education and civil society to work together to shape how the internet is managed in Ireland.

The Internet Governance Forum (IGF), formally established by the United Nations in 2006, is a global initiative to promote open policy discussions that shape the future of the internet. Besides the Global IGF, many nations or regions host their own local IGF events to bring together the local internet community and discuss local internet policy issues.

Ireland’s trusted national domain registry, .ie, believes it is now time for Ireland as a digital nation, home to some of the world’s leading tech companies and a strong internet ecosystem, to join the global conversation.

This inaugural IGF in the country welcomed a variety of prolific speakers across government, academia, business and industry to engage with current and emerging trends surrounding internet governance and look ahead at Ireland’s digital future.

The predominant themes underpinning the IGF included regulating online spaces, moving beyond a compliance checklist focus, diversity and inclusion in internet governance, and ethical approaches to AI. One of the crucial areas of focus for the forum was the threat to cybersecurity across the globe, due in part to growing geopolitical uncertainty.

Cybersecurity and Geopolitical Uncertainty

The 20-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20) is set to happen this year. The creation of the IGF is an outcome of the first WSIS, and its mandate is set to expire in 2025. It is crucial for Ireland to be a part of the global conversations around the future of how the internet is governed.

In a time of such political and economic disruption, the digital world is also turning its focus to cybersecurity threats which have heightened amid ongoing geopolitical risk.

The World Economic Forum has shown that cybercrime increases during times of global crisis, with major events like pandemics, wars, tariffs and climate change events often being used by opportunistic cyber criminals to capitalise on confused or well-intentioned individuals. During the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020, the online world experienced a ‘cyber-pandemic’ of its own.

As so many individuals and businesses shifted online rapidly, bad actors were quick to take advantage of people’s naivety and fear, with the scale and quantity of cyber-crime exploding from this point onwards.

Closer to home, a 2025 report from the Banking and Payments Federation found that almost half of Irish adults (45%) report being targeted with more scam communications than the same time last year. At a time when innovation is accelerating, yesterday’s forum explored the need for Ireland to maintain a people-centred approach to technology – through ethical AI, inclusive governance, and safer online spaces for all.

Digital Divide Impact on Internet Governance

The forum also addressed the ongoing problem of the digital divide in Ireland. .ie’s 2024 Domain Profile Report, launched in January of this year, identified evidence of an ongoing digital divide based on location, size and sector, in particular for micro-SMEs with fewer than 10 employees.[iv] As digital policy decisions increasingly affect every part of our lives, the question of whose voices are heard in those decisions is more urgent than ever.

Speakers at the forum explored ways in which Ireland can ensure that internet governance is inclusive, equitable, and accessible – particularly for marginalised, vulnerable, and underrepresented communities.

David Curtin, Chief Executive at .ie said “Events like the IGF Ireland do more than spark conversation—they build connections and drive solutions. By bringing together stakeholders from government, industry, academia, and civil society, this forum will help shape Ireland’s digital future. We are delighted to help host The Internet Governance Forum for the first time and bring about open and transparent discussions on internet policy issues facing Ireland.”