On April 27, the Declaration on the Future of the Internet was signed, a rather overly ambitious name for a 3-page document. Signatories include the United States, the European Union and 32 others countries outside the EU, such as Great Britain and Japan.
The document represents the commitment of all parties to work towards a shared vision for the Internetnetwork as "a single interconnected communications system for all humanity", which will promote "connectivity, democracy, peace, the rule of law... human rights and fundamental freedoms".
The first goal, of course, is in stark contrast to what the Internet has done in many authoritarian countries, which systematically flirt with total censorship. China has gained notoriety through extensive Internet censorship through its Great Firewall.
Russia, in a similar way, has launched an attempt to manipulate the Internet, especially after its invasion of Ukraine. The suspension of social media and online news is now a common occurrence under the Putin government (and beyond).
Of course, it is reassuring to see on the "papers" at least that the West opposes this phenomenon. A fragmented Internet or, as experts like to call it, "splinternet" is something very dangerous in the sense of "divide and rule".
Thus, the signatories commit to "maintain an Internet that is open, free, global, interoperable, reliable and safe". The last part is particularly noteworthy, because there is a very fine line between net neutrality and the perpetuation of dangerous practices.
That is why the Declaration emphasizes the need for governments to actively protect and promote the privacy and security of Internet users.
Make no mistake – about the EU and the USA, the Internet must be free, but it will be regulated by the respective governments.
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_22_2695
