Internet bodies warn against perceived UN centralised internet governance plan
The technical bodies argue that these proposals promote centralisation, which they believe would harm the internet and global economies and societies.
Key internet technical bodies, including the Internet Engineering Task Force, World Wide Web Consortium, Internet Research Task Force, and the Internet Society’s Board of Trustees, have signed an open letter to the UN arguing against a centralised governance of the internet, which they argue is being proposed in the UN’s Global Digital Compact (GDC). The letter states that some of the proposals in the latest version of the GDC, released on 26 June 2024, can be interpreted as mandating more centralised internet governance, which the technical bodies believe would be detrimental to the internet and global economies and societies.
The GDC aims to create international consensus on principles for an ‘inclusive, open, sustainable, fair, safe and secure digital future’. However, the technical bodies argue that the GDC is being developed through a multilateral process between states, with very limited engagement of the open, inclusive, and consensus-driven methods used to develop the internet and web to date.
Specifically, the GDC proposes the establishment of an international scientific panel on AI to conduct risk assessments, an office to facilitate follow-ups on the compact, and calls on the UN to play a key role in promoting cooperation and harmonisation of data governance initiatives. The technical bodies view these proposals as steps towards more centralised internet governance, which they believe would be detrimental.
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