All EU member states, the US and 32 other countries have signed the Declaration for the Future of the Internet. The declaration describes what the internet should look like in the future: decentralized, democratic and fair. The signatories promise to contribute to this.
The “Declaration for the Future of the Internet” is a declaration. The document was written by European and American policymakers to set out the core values of the future internet. Countries around the world are invited to sign the declaration. Their signature is not binding, but political. Countries sign the declaration to show their support for the values and standards of the declaration.
The norms and values sound as follows. According to the statement, the internet should operate as a single, decentralized network of several sub-networks. Technology providers must communicate honestly and allow room for competitors. The technology on the internet must try to avoid exclusion and discrimination. At the bottom of the line, the internet should be in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Not binding
The declaration is currently signed by all European member states, the US and 32 other countries, including the UK, Australia, Canada, Japan and Taiwan. As mentioned earlier, their signature is not binding. The scribble has no concrete consequences. However, the countries are making it clear that they want to contribute to the future proposed by the declaration.
“In addition, the partners share a number of concerns,” adds a spokesman for the European Commission. “Some authoritarian governments suppress freedom on the internet. Others use digital tools to violate human rights. The partners are against cyber attacks, the spread of illegal content, disinformation and the centralization of economic power.”
Group formation
These issues are not new to Europe. The European Commission regularly proposes laws to comply with the mission. “The centralization of economic power” is stopped with the Digital Markets Act; “the distribution of illegal content” is addressed with the Digital Services Act.
The scale of the initiative, on the other hand, is unique. The European Union, USA and 32 countries form a coalition against each country with a different vision of the internet. China did not sign the declaration. The country openly uses the internet to monitor residents. The state regularly clashes with the norms and values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That is expected to remain the case for the foreseeable future.
About the author: John Campbell
John Campbell is the godfather of Polimedia and the oldest author from the whole team. His occasional guidance is crucial for everyone he advises.
