For most Internet users, the characters after the final dot in a web address barely register. We type .com, .org, .net or .asia without thinking much about who decides which extensions exist, who can operate them, or what it takes to create a new one. But behind that small part of a web address lies […]
Category: NetMission Digest
Civic Space Under Pressure: The Mazari-Chattha Case and Pakistan’s Digital Rights Standoff
A previous piece in this series examined the prosecution of human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, advocate Hadi Ali Chattha. It argued that cybercrime laws can be used against political speech. Since then, the case has grown into a long back-and-forth between civil society and the state. That exchange is worth reading […]
Brokering Trust in Tumultuous Tech Tides
Insularity. The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer has, for the first time in over a quarter of a century, coined trust worldwide has retreated to this psychological state that is shaped by fears and crises. 70% of 33,938 individuals across 28 countries expressed hesitancy and unwillingness to trust persons with a different way of life at […]
AI Agents, Uneven Futures: Literacy, Risk, and Governance in Asia-Pacific
Welcome to Issue #6 of NetMission Digest. As we move further into 2026, the digital landscape is undergoing a fundamental shift. While the previous years were defined by generative AI, Microsoft leadership labelled 2026 the year of AI agents – systems that, unlike chatbots that respond to prompts, can independently plan, make decisions, and execute […]
Connectivity in Crisis: What the Recent Events in Balochistan, Pakistan Reveal About Digital Rights and Internet Governance
When Silence Speaks Louder Than Words In the early hours of 29–30 January 2026, as violence spread across Balochistan, another crisis unfolded alongside it: a near-total communication blackout. With internet and mobile services suspended, residents in cities such as Quetta, Mastung, Nushki, Pasni, Turbat, Panjgur, and Gwadar were left without access to timely information. People […]