61 countries signed the Declaration For The Future Of The Internet on 28 April 2022. This declaration unites countries in order to promote global, affordable, and ethical access to the Internet. Only 61 countries joined hands and signed the declaration but more countries may sign it in the coming weeks.
What is the Declaration For The Future Of The Internet?
The Declaration For The Future Of The Internet is a document that will shape the internet for decades to come. The official post of the White House mentioned that 61 countries are on board with the idea of a decentralized and unregulated internet.
The concept of the internet was to bridge gaps between the countries but it ended up being a tool for surveillance for authoritarian governments. China has a closed-internet framework where its citizens cannot access another digital world beyond their country’s borders. Russia is on the path of designing a similar splinternet but that is easier said than done.
The Declaration For The Future Of The Internet will unite many countries who will together create a truly global internet.
Principles of the Declaration
Some noteworthy principles of the Declaration For The Future Of The Internet include:
- Protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of all people
- Promote a global Internet that advances the free flow of information
- Advance inclusive and affordable connectivity so that all people can benefit from the digital economy
- Promote trust in the global digital ecosystem, including through the protection of privacy
- Protect and strengthen the multistakeholder approach to governance that keeps the Internet running for the benefit of all.
That primary focus remains on the accessibility of the internet and protecting the human rights of the people. Rather than creating barriers that will impede global growth, countries will work to reduce the obstructions. Moreover, privacy will become the utmost priority, which is much needed in today’s time of surveillance ads.
What do you think about the Declaration For The Future Of The Internet? Is it another farce or countries are serious about global internet privacy and accessibility? Share your thought in the comments.