It was from Washington that the “Declaration on the Future of the Internet” was announced on April 28th. Non-binding, the text (pdf) has been signed by some 60 countries, including the Member States of the European Union, democratic countries and others. It aims to recall the fundamental principles of the Internet and to promote them in the future. Also, and perhaps above all, it serves to point the finger at unnamed authoritarian states… (China and Russia).
A “declaration” both unprecedented and very classic on the Internet
Like all great international declarations, this one on the future of the Internet begins with a very solemn proclamation, ” We are united by the belief that digital technologies can promote connectivity, democracy, peace, the rule of law, sustainable development and the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms “. The signatories undertake to support actively pursue a future for the Internet that is open, free, global, interoperable, reliable and secure “.
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Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission declared upon presentation of the text, Today, for the first time, countries around the world, committed to the same principles, are defining a common vision for the future of the Internet, to ensure that the values we defend offline will also be protected online. “.
If this is a first on an international scale, the text actually takes up fairly classic values around the Internet since its birth, promoting its access, supporting its decentralized and multi-party nature, maintaining Net neutrality, supporting the circulation of information, innovation…
A diplomatic hell?
The text adds more modern considerations such as the confidentiality of user data, cybersecurity, etc. More broadly, from a societal point of view, the ecological impact of digital technology is mentioned, as well as the fight against online discrimination, in particular on gender identity.
This last point was little appreciated by Hungary, during diplomatic discussions to approve the text within the EU, on April 19, according to Euroactiv. In general, all States do not check the text’s commitments in the same way, due to local laws and its non-binding nature.
This is far from being the only difficulty that plagued the diplomatic preparatory process for the declaration. Initially, an “Alliance for the Future of the Internet” was to emerge at the Democracy Summit organized by the Biden administration in December.
Reluctance, coming mainly from supporters of a free Internet, viewed the initiative with distance, reports The world. It was above all perceived as a text aimed at Beijing. Left dormant, the project was reborn from its ashes thanks to the invasion of Ukraine, a signatory country, by Russia.
A few amendments were also made to lessen the sensation. The term “Alliance”, too connoted, was ejected. The commitment on the choice of a “trusted supplier” for its digital infrastructure has also, for example, been modified: the reference to Huawei was not subtle.
Non-signatories, Russia and China are nevertheless omnipresent
Nevertheless, this text remains peppered with thinly veiled criticisms of China and Russia. First of all a general criticism, open internet access is restricted by some authoritarian governments “. A number of allusions are then more precise.
The ” States that sponsor or coordinate malicious behavior […] including the dissemination of false information and cybercrime »? A Russian specialty according to Westerners. The countries which have erected firewalls »? Here the dedication is for China. The country has erected a “great digital wall” around its Internet, or in other words, the Great Firewall. The ubiquitous plea for an open, global and interoperable Internet is linked to the American fear, in recent years, of seeing the arrival of a “splinternet”, a separation of the Internet into several closed entities.
In its press release, the European Commission, contrary to the White House, specifically cites Russia, known for having an independent Internet project, RuNet. It also mentions Ukraine, signatory of the text and exposed to the ” risk of serious disruption of the Internet, in particular by total or partial closures “.
Several major countries, excluding Russia and China, have not initialed the declaration. The largest democracy in the world, India is one of them, along with South Africa, Brazil and South Korea. Other governments may join the initial signatories.
The European Commission has announced that discussions will be organized in the summer of 2022, until then workshops will take place. The signatories are counting on businesses, NGOs, civil society and researchers to take ownership of their joint statement and implement it at their level. A wishful thinking.