The Internet was once imagined as a borderless network, where protocols—not politics—defined interoperability. That vision no longer maps to the reality of the world today. Trade wars, digital sovereignty battles, demographic shifts, and fragile technology supply chains are fragmenting the Internet in ways that go far beyond technical debates.
For identity professionals, these fractures aren’t academic; they directly affect how federations interoperate, how credentials are trusted across borders, and how enterprises plan for resilience. The question is not whether the Internet is fragmenting, but how that fragmentation will impact digital identity infrastructures built on the assumption of global reach.
This session draws from recent analysis on the end of the “global” Internet, exploring how:
Technology supply chains set practical limits on AI and identity infrastructure.
Standards risk being bent—or broken—by trade disputes and sovereignty mandates.
Demographics drive not just user behavior but the political economy shaping Internet governance.
Rather than simply predicting collapse, the session will focus on how enterprises, governments, and standards bodies can adapt. What resilience strategies make sense for a world where regional identity stacks grow stronger? How can European stakeholders engage to ensure trust, security, and usability in cross-border identity systems?
Attendees will leave with a clearer view of the risks and opportunities of fragmentation, and practical ideas for shaping digital identity strategies in a world where global interoperability can no longer be assumed.
