ANACOM takes part in the Internet Governance Forum 2025

The 2025 edition of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) https://www.igf2025.no/ took place from 23 to 27 June in Oslo, Norway.

Sandra Maximiano, the Chairwoman of ANACOM's Board of Directors, played an active role in the event, particularly in two sessions:

• Protection of Subsea Communication Cables https://igf2025.sched.com/event/244vr/protection-of-subsea-communication-cables?iframe=no, organised jointly by the Norwegian Government and the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), and
• Click with care: protecting vulnerable groups online https://igf2025.sched.com/event/246Iy/parliamentary-session-3-click-with-care-protecting-vulnerable-groups-online?iframe=no, as part of the "IGF Parliamentary Track".

At the Protection of Subsea Communication Cables https://igf2025.sched.com/event/244vr/protection-of-subsea-communication-cables?iframe=no session on 23 June, Sandra Maximiano emphasised Portugal's geostrategic position as a global connectivity hub, highlighting the country's vast exclusive economic zone and its long tradition of submarine cable moorings, which connect it directly to several continents. She emphasised the importance of developing policies that strengthen resilience, pointing out elements such as redundant routes, systems repair capacity, and clear incident response plans. The Chair of ANACOM also emphasised the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on increasing connectivity requirements.

The importance of ANACOM's role in encouraging collaboration among various stakeholders to enhance the resilience of these systems was also stressed. At an international level, the co-chairmanship of the Advisory Body for Submarine Cable Resilience - an international platform launched by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in partnership with the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) - was highlighted, as were ANACOM's activities within European bodies such as the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) and the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA).

In the session Click with care: protecting vulnerable groups online https://igf2025.sched.com/event/246Iy/parliamentary-session-3-click-with-care-protecting-vulnerable-groups-online?iframe=no, on 24 June, Sandra Maximiano summarised the contribution of behavioural economics to the protection of vulnerable groups online. She stressed the importance of this area of economics in understanding how agents make decisions, which are often affected by emotions, social pressures and cognitive biases. Unlike rational agents, she explained, online users, especially children and other vulnerable groups, underestimate risks, overestimate their knowledge, and make decisions that affect their safety. She warned against the risk of such vulnerabilities being exploited by AI systems, whether intentionally or not, and argued that regulators should employ the same behavioural principles to encourage safer and more informed decision-making.

The IGF is recognised as the leading international forum for discussing digital public policy. It brings together influential voices from the public and private sectors, academia, and civil society. While it does not make binding decisions, the forum plays a vital role in inspiring and informing political and strategic decisions. The 2025 edition of the IGF took place just a few months before the UN General Assembly reviews the WSIShttps://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=432632 process (WSIS+20), when the continuity and mandate of the IGF itself will be re-evaluated, among other issues.

ANACOM's participation in this forum has evolved over the years. While initially focused on connectivity, ANACOM's presence has become more comprehensive, reflecting its broader involvement in the digital ecosystem and the global debate on Internet governance.