On 21 January 2026, the  Asia Tech Alliance (ATA) and Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) convened a closed-door APAC roundtable in Singapore titled “ Global Internet Governance, Regional Realities .” The session was moderated by Lih Shiun Goh, Managing Director of ATA, and featured Theresa Swinehart , Senior Vice President for Global Domains & Strategy, and Samiran Gupta , Vice President for Stakeholder Engagement and APAC Managing Director, from ICA

As Asia-Pacific enters a critical phase of digital and economic transformation in 2026, technology leaders across the region are increasingly faced with one core challenge: how to scale innovation in ways that are trusted, inclusive, and sustainable.

Online safety moved up the policy agenda in 2025, transitioning into a new phase of stricter compliance in some jurisdictions,with a particular focus on protecting children and minors online. While national approaches differ, we can see the broader regulatory trajectory unfolding over time. Australia - The First Move Australia’s under-16 social media ban , implemented in December 2025 , marked a global first. Beyond its immediate domestic impact, the move prompted regional po