Lin Taylor

From internet shutdowns to the rise of AI, hyper-surveillance to protest via social media, digital technology is shaping lives and upending business as usual - for better and for worse.

Experts say that striking a balance between regulation and innovation will become harder in coming years, as governments and firms invest in artificial intelligence (AI), with consequences for jobs, mental health and the climate.

This year, European countries have tightened migration policies and are preparing for a major overhaul of existing measures when the European Union's new asylum and migration pact comes into effect in 2026.

The new policies come despite a 35% drop in irregular arrivals in the year to July.

Britain said this month it will no longer offer refugees permanent protection and will make it harder for them to bring family into the country as part of sweeping reforms in response to mounting pressure on the government over record migration.

The hardline measures are similar to rules introduced by Denmark in 2015 when millions of migrants, mostly Syrians fleeing civil war, arrived in Europe seeking safety.

Britain's foreign aid spending dropped by nearly 1.3 billion pounds ($1.73 billion) last year, mirroring a global decrease in humanitarian funds sent to poorer countries, according to government figures.

International aid fell in 2024 for the first time in five years and is set to plunge further as U.S. President Donald Trump slashes spending and other key donors cut back.

AI is only in its infancy but could rapidly exacerbate the noxious side-effects of social media if left unchecked, with children particularly vulnerable, said the French president's special envoy for AI.

Be it eradicating self-esteem or prompting suicidal thoughts - social media has been widely blamed for worsening many of the stresses of modern life, with young users among its top victims.

After seeing fighters ravage his home, Jean thought he had found safety when he arrived in Britain but was told he was too tall to be 16 and sent to live with hundreds of adult asylum seekers, without further support.

Alone and exhausted, Jean, who used a pseudonym and did not want to reveal his home country in central Africa for privacy, said border officials told him he was 26 - a decade older than he actually was when he arrived in 2012.

When Norway recognised Palestine as a state, Palestinian engineer Adam was thrilled by the show of support, little knowing the move would ultimately derail his family's dream of winning citizenship in their adopted homeland.

The very act of recognition - granted on 28 May, 2024 - means that Oslo no longer considers Palestinians like Adam to be stateless, according to the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) which oversees visa processes.

Palestinians living in Europe said international recognition of a Palestinian state risks being an empty gesture and does not address the crisis in Gaza, where Israel's two-year assault has killed more than 67,000 people and led to famine.

Britain, France, Belgium and Australia were among the Western nations to recognise a Palestinian state last month, with leaders hoping the move would pressure Israel to end its military campaign in Gaza.

Australia, Britain, Canada and France became the latest Western nations to recognise a Palestinian state last month, but the backing has cost Palestinians rights in other countries since they are no longer considered stateless, a legal expert said.

Patrícia Cabral, legal policy coordinator at the European Network on Statelessness, a civil society alliance, cited the examples of Bulgaria, Hungary and Norway, where Palestinians had seen their rights curtailed after statehood recognition.

Britain says all workers will need digital identity cards by 2029 in an attempted crackdown on illegal migration that rights groups fear will endanger the marginalised and invade people's privacy.

Digital IDs would live on people's mobile phones and become a mandatory part of checks that employers make on hiring staff.