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The year 2025 ended with the completion of the historic review process of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20), in which Chile played a key role in the negotiations. In this column, we analyse the achievements and limitations of the perspective promoted by Chile and ask ourselves about the impact the Summit may have on the local agenda under a new far right government.

The digitalization of agriculture is already a fact: Big Tech companies are working alongside monopolistic agribusiness corporations, driving an unprecedented datification in the rural sector. Peasant and indigenous communities are demanding protection and security over their knowledge, data, and modes of production. Is it possible to introduce digital technologies in rural areas in ways that respect peasant rights and promote food sovereignty?

The increase in deepfake cases in Latin American schools is causing growing concern. An analysis of Android apps revealed a lack of transparency, embedded biases in their development, and a business model that prioritizes monetizing abuse. Far from being a “system error,” these tools were designed in ways that perpetuate digital gender-based violence.

In recent years, a modest advance began to be observed in the consensus around the need to rebalance global power relations in the field of technology. The concept of “tech sovereignty” has gained prominence in the discourses of both governmental and international authorities. At the same time, new opportunities emerged for fiscal policies aimed at compensating countries for the extraction of their data by a handful of companies. Even though some of these demands remain largely rhetorical (with countries still granting benefits to the same companies for local resource exploitation), the alliance between Big Tech and the far-right U.S. government has devoted all its efforts to pushing them back.

Sustaining a civil society organization dedicated to promoting human rights in Latin America is no easy task. This milestone deserves to be celebrated, even in a global context that seems determined to take away any brief moments of joy. On this date marking the formal founding of Derechos Digitales 20 years ago, we look back at our roots and renew our commitment to continuing the struggle for a fairer, more equitable, and more democratic future.

The recent decision by the Argentine government to place cybersecurity under the control of the State Intelligence Secretariat sets a dangerous precedent for the region. In this column, we examine how this model, rather than protecting rights, reinforces authoritarian dynamics in Latin America. The question that now looms large is: Who watches the watchers?

As we witness the widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, not everything is cause for alarm. There are concrete efforts being made to promote an ethical use of AI in journalism.

Eleven years ago, we learned that every email we sent, every chat message, phone call, and document shared in the cloud was accessible to intelligence agencies of the United States and allied countries. This became known after Edward Snowden leaked thousands of documents from the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) published in some of the world’s most important media outlets. This column will recall some of the key facts of this story and reflect on what has changed since then.