auDA - .au Domain Administration Ltd.

🤖 Last month auDA hosted a .au member event at Stone & Chalk in Sydney to discuss how AI is changing how we perceive trust online. Following an introduction from auDA CEO Bruce Tonkin, a rich panel discussion hosted by auDA Glenn Wightwick, saw guests including Sally Browner, Christopher Sampson and Jahin Tanvir share their insights and expertise across emerging technologies, how the shifting landscape is reshaping business readiness, and the importance of trust for Australian small businesses. 🔬 On the same day, we also hosted a roundtable run by Rebecca Papillo on auDA’s 2026 Digital Lives of Australians research. We were joined by stakeholders from the technology and small business sectors, academia, social impact organisations and government to explore the findings in practice and discuss opportunities to support Australian consumers and small businesses online. Thanks to our industry experts, partners and attendees for making it a great event with plenty of opportunity to share knowledge and expertise.

auDA COO Sharon Copeland-Smith recently joined fellow Asia Pacific Top Level Domain Association (APTLD) Board Members and the APTLD community in Mongolia for #APTLD90. The conference in Ulaanbaatar was a great opportunity to connect and collaborate with our regional country code top-level domain (ccTLD) peers. In addition to the rich discussions and insightful presentation, Sharon shared key information and a sneak peek at what’s coming next February at APTLD91 in Brisbane, hosted by the auDA team. Learn more about APTLD91: https://lnkd.in/gUzE_cEd

As a member of the ICANN and internet governance community, auDA is delighted to support ICANN90 as the local host. ICANN90 will take place on 30 October to 4 November 2027 at the Adelaide Convention Centre. We look forward to welcoming the ICANN community to Australia for the first time since ICANN35 in 2009, and are keen to progress critical multi-stakeholder discussions. Learn more on the ICANN website: https://lnkd.in/gKqyP3d3

Work is underway to draft proposed changes to the .au Licensing Rules and develop an implementation plan, following release of the Policy Advisory Panel’s Final Report. As part of this work, auDA is considering the impact of all recommendations and how they might be implemented. Any proposed changes to the .au Licensing Rules will be released for public consultation so .au registrants, industry participants and the broader Australian community can share their views before any changes are considered and finalised by the Board. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g6SnGPmr

auDA is seeking an Associate Cloud Engineer who will support cloud operations, infrastructure automation, deployment activities, monitoring, and continuous improvement initiatives in our IT team. This is an excellent opportunity for an early-career cloud professional looking to develop their skills in AWS, Azure, automation, and DevOps practices while contributing to systems that support critical internet infrastructure. Apply now: https://lnkd.in/diA_qNKQ

⏰ The 2026 .au member survey closes soon⏰ If you’re an auDA member, there’s still time to share your feedback to help shape the future of the .au member program. 📥Your responses will help inform our member events, educational resources, consultation opportunities and the support we provide to our growing membership community. The survey is being conducted by independent research agency Survey Matters, and all responses are anonymous. 📨 Check your inbox for your survey invitation from Survey Matters — and your junk folder if you haven’t seen it yet. We value your feedback, and if you have any questions, contact the Membership Team at membership@auda.org.au.

👏 That’s a wrap on auIGF 2026!    Panels and discussions across the two days covered a lot of ground, with rich exchanges from panelists and from participants over a range of topics. The conference wrapped up with a Closing Plenary, which followed sessions on progressing a Social Contract for Digital Wellbeing, whether the internet is ready for ‘Q Day’ (quantum computing) and much more. Great to have contributions from such a wide range of stakeholders from the community. In particular, we thank: 🤝 The auIGF 2025 First Nations Fellowship recipients Astrid Innes and Simon O'Toole as well as their mentors Susan Beetson and Dr Jenny Fraser, (2023 Fellows) supported by Identity Digital Australia Pty Ltd. and auDA to participate in 2026 auIGF - Australian Internet Governance Forum 🌐 The auDA Internet Governance Fellows Wendy Lam, Anastasia Beasley and Rebecca Kuiters  🔬 R&D Program recipient Robin Doss of Deakin University 🙌  auIGF Chair Donna Austin for chairing what has been an excellent conference this year  👋 auDA’s Bruce Tonkin, Annaliese Williams, Elizabeth Pollard and Glenn Wightwick for their contributions as well as all the members of the Australian internet community that make this event possible. Session recordings will soon be available at auIGF.au. To keep track of the next steps for auIGF and the Australian internet community, stay informed as a .au member: auda.org.au/join

Alongside the team at auDA - .au Domain Administration Ltd. Identity Digital was proud to connect with Aunty Serena and the First Peoples Fellows to the #auIGF2026 in Canberra this morning. First Nations Digital Inclusion is a high priority in Australia and we anticipate an engaging and interactive workshop from the Fellows tomorrow. Dr Jenny Fraser Susan Beetson Simon O'Toole Astrid Innes

🎬 Day 1 of the 2026 auIGF - Australian Internet Governance Forum is well underway in Canberra. Aunty Serena Williams-Palm opened the forum with a Welcome to Country on behalf of the Ngunnawal people, and spoke about the importance of closing the gap to better support connectivity and digital inclusion among First Nations communities throughout Australia.  Following this, the Opening Plenary featured a keynote speech from David Mackay of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts, and a hypothetical discussion exploring future risks to an open, free, secure, and interoperable internet facilitated by Johanna Weaver of the Tech Policy Design Institute (TPDi). 👏 Thank you to the auIGF Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee for a great program and wonderful start to the forum. If you can’t make it in person, you can dial in and get involved in auIGF online: https://lnkd.in/g-WDwmvx

In collaboration with The Winston Churchill Trust (Australia), auDA is pleased to announce Catherine Brown and Anthony Wylde as the recipients of the 2026 auDA Churchill Fellowship. The Fellowships will take Catherine and Anthony overseas to learn from international experts. Catherine’s Fellowship will enable her to investigate innovative approaches to digital group therapy to support a future where women in all parts of Australia no longer choose between living in the communities they love and accessing the mental health care they deserve. Through Anthony’s Fellowship, he will learn from wildlife and AI-assisted conservation programs overseas and help Australia use these technologies to better protect our shorebirds from threats such as climate change and disease. Learn more about our 2026 recipients and auDA Churchill Fellowships: https://lnkd.in/gecPJ4g9