Declaration for the Future of the Internet

Context: Recently, the United States and 60 other partner countries signed a political declaration called the “Declaration for the Future of the Internet”.

About Declaration for the Future of the Internet

• The Declaration aims to foster “an interconnected communications system for all humanity.”
• It is an inclusive initiative, and the partners under the declaration will continue to reach other governments to involve them in the Declaration.
• All partners will reach out to the private sector, international organizations, the technical community, academia, and civil society, and other relevant stakeholders worldwide to work in partnership to achieve the vision of an open, free, global, interoperable, reliable and secure Internet.
• The Declaration and its guiding principles are not legally binding.

Aim:

• The Internet must reinforce core democratic principles, fundamental freedoms and human rights  as reflected in the  Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• Internet should operate as a single, decentralized network of networks, where digital technologies are used in a trustworthy way, avoiding unfair discrimination between individuals and allowing for contestability of online platforms, and for fair competition among businesses.
• The aim is to protect human rights, promote a single global internet, promote trust and inclusivity, and protect a multistakeholder approach to internet development.

Important Fact

• India, China and Russiaare among the large nations that are not part of this declaration.
• India also did not sign the Budapest Convention on cybercrime, 2001.