The Larger Facebook/Cambridge Analytica Question: Is this really what we signed up for?

Mark Zuckerburg’s testimony before the US Congress today and the flood of news about the privacy breach at Facebook and revelations that the company mishandled the data of millions of people has me asking:

Is this really what we signed up for?

It is clear that we are not in control of our online information nor do we really have any idea how it is bought, sold, or used.

For some of us, signing up for a social network like Facebook was about staying in touch with our kids and friends. For others, it was an easy way to reach new customers, or gather a community behind a social project. Yes, many of us figured out that our information was being used to serve up ‘relevant’ ads: as a matter of fact, that seems pretty standard in today’s online world. But that’s only a small part of a much bigger picture.

In the past few weeks we have found out – yet again – that information about ourselves, and our friends and contacts was used far beyond what we intended. We have been profiled, pigeon-holed, politically manipulated, and played like pawns in someone else’s chess game. I’d challenge you to Continue reading

The global Internet requires a global, collaborative approach to Internet Governance

Now more then ever, the Internet Society believes in the need to preserve the values of openness, inclusiveness and transparency that have always been at the heart of the Internet. A coherent global governance model for the global Internet that includes everyone is key to achieving this vision. But how can we get more governments to embrace the kind of collaborative governance that has shaped the Internet we know and use today? How can we improve and expand the model so that it becomes more widely adopted around the world? How can YOU help that to happen?

Today we are pleased to announce the launch of our Collaborative Governance Project. This brand new initiative aims to help stakeholders of all communities to understand the ways in which they can turn collaborative thinking into tangible and implementable policies and practices.

Under the leadership of Larry Strickling, the project will initially concentrate on building support for collaborative governance approaches globally. We will actively engage stakeholders in the development and evolution of the project.

As a first step in that process, we are holding two open calls for the community on March 1, 2018, to tell you about the project, get your input Continue reading

The State of the Net Today – Why we must Act now for its Future

At the Internet Society, we are worried about the state of the Internet today. This global “network of networks” is now a critical part of our daily lives. We use it to communicate and connect with our families, friends, co-workers and customers. It is the engine that powers the global economy. It is our source of entertainment, of education, and of information. The Internet brings so many opportunities to all.

But… those opportunities are now under attack from several threats:

• Lack of trust – We now find ourselves asking key questions: how can we trust that the information we see online is accurate? How do we know we are communicating with the correct people?

• Security of the core of the Internet – The core infrastructure that creates the network of networks is now under constant attacks. Botnets, DDoS attacks, routing attacks – the public core of the Internet needs protection.

• The explosion of connected devices – We are connecting almost everything to the Internet, and this “Internet of Things (IoT)” is being largely connected with little concern for security.

• The growing divide between the connected and unconnected – Over 40% of the world’s people are not connected to the Internet, Continue reading

Can We Expand the Multistakeholder Model for Internet Governance? A Feasibility Report

What can be done to expand the usage of the multistakeholder model for Internet governance?

Collaborative decision making has been at the heart of how the Internet has grown and developed since its earliest days. Multistakeholder approaches are used across the Internet ecosystem and have helped create the opportunities made possible by the Internet today. But as we outlined in our Global Internet Report 2017, more work is needed to expand the use of multistakeholder processes in order to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing the future of the Internet.

As I wrote last summer, the Internet Society commissioned a feasibility study on expanding the use of the multistakeholder model for Internet governance , including three focus areas:

• Demonstrating the efficacy of the model
• Capacity building
• Research

I would like to thank Larry Strickling and Grace Abuhamad, who have led this work. Their report is based on interviews with a wide range ICT experts from academia, industry, the technical community, civil society and governments.  It details a possible framework for such an initiative, as well as the resources required. It also makes clear that any new initiative should support and complement existing initiatives such as the Internet Governance Forum Continue reading

What does the future hold for the Internet?

This is the fundamental question that we are posing through the report just launched today, our 2017 Global Internet Report: Paths to Our Digital Future.

The report is a window into the diverse views and perspectives of a global community that cares deeply about how the Internet will evolve and impact humanity over the next 5-7 years. We couldn’t know what we would find when we embarked on the journey to map what stakeholders believe could shape the future of the Internet, nor can we truly know what will happen to the Internet, but we do now have a sense of what we need to think about today to help shape the Internet of tomorrow. The report reflects the views and aspirations of our community as well as some of the most pressing challenges facing the future of this great innovation.

What have we learned? We’ve learned that our community remains confident that the core Internet values that gave rise to the Internet remain valid. We also heard very strong worries that the user-centric model of the Internet is under extraordinary pressure from governments, from technology giants, and even from the technology itself.  There is a sense that there Continue reading