French internet governance forum to meet in Villejuif on November 3
in plain words
A big meeting about how the internet is run in France will happen on 3 November 2026 at a school near Paris. People from government, tech companies, and internet groups will talk about topics like online safety, artificial intelligence, and protecting elections. The event is free and can also be watched online. Organizers say it is a rare place where everyone involved in the internet can talk as equals.
The Forum sur la Gouvernance de l’Internet France (FGI France) will hold its 2026 edition on 3 November at Efrei in Villejuif, with both in-person and online participation. The event is co-organized by Internet Society France and is recognized by the United Nations-backed Internet Governance Forum as a national initiative. Its organizing committee is co-chaired by Nicolas Chagny, president of Internet Society France, and Lucien Castex, adviser to the director general of Afnic Association française pour le nommage Internet en coopération The nonprofit association that runs France's .fr domain. Full definition of Afnic.
The day opens with remarks from Efrei director general Frédéric Meunier and French digital minister Anne Le Hénanff, followed by a morning plenary on building an optimistic vision of internet governance The shared rules and decision processes that shape how the internet works and is used. Full definition of internet governance, featuring speakers including Pierre Bonis of Afnic, Janis Karklins of ICANN Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers The nonprofit that coordinates the global DNS and gTLD policy. Full definition of ICANN, and Sébastien Bachollet of Internet Society France. A closing plenary in the afternoon will address internet governance and democracy ahead of France’s 2027 presidential election, focusing on disinformation, foreign interference and algorithmic manipulation, moderated by Constance Bommelaer de Leusse and Lucien Castex.
Keynote speakers include Sébastien Soriano, director general of the IGN mapping agency, discussing his book on digital sovereignty, and Adrien Abecassis, France’s newly appointed ambassador for AI and digital affairs.
Four in-person workshops will cover topics including IPv6 adoption, post-quantum encryption and AI agents with the ANSSI cybersecurity agency, Afnic and Arcep; simplifying European digital regulation; protecting critical infrastructure such as DNS Domain Name System The internet's directory that links domain names to computer addresses. Full definition of DNS and undersea cables amid geopolitical rivalry; and teaching AI literacy. Workshop findings will be presented in a plenary session at 15:45, after which David Fayon will present the 2026 edition of Numerikissimo, a directory of French digital sector players.
Internet Society France will also run its Bootcamp Gouvernance Internet France during the event, offering students and young professionals two sessions to learn how bodies such as ICANN, the IGF Internet Governance Forum A yearly United Nations forum to discuss internet policy, with no binding decisions. Full definition of IGF and Afnic shape internet policy, led by Claire-Mélanie Popineau and Sébastien Bachollet.
Registration is free, with doors opening at 8:30 and the event closing at 18:00 followed by a reception. Plenaries and keynotes will be livestreamed for remote attendees.