The European Union, the United States and 32 countries support a decentralized Internet

All European member states, the United States and 32 other countries signed the “Declaration for the Future of the Internet”. The manifesto describes what the Internet should look like in the future: decentralized, democratic and just. The signatories promise to contribute to this.

Advertising for the future of the Internet is a statement. The document was written by European and American policy makers to establish the core values ​​of the future Internet. Countries around the world are invited to sign the declaration. Their signature is not binding, but political. States by signing indicate that they support the standards and values ​​of the Declaration.

The rules and values ​​look like this. According to the statement, the Internet should function as a single decentralized network of multiple subnets. Technology providers must communicate honestly and give way to competitors. The technology on the Internet should try to prevent exclusion and discrimination. Ultimately, the Internet must align with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

not binding

The statement is currently signed by all member states in Europe, the United States and 32 other countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Japan and Taiwan. As mentioned before, their signature is not binding. Scribbling has no tangible consequences. However, states say they want to contribute to the future the statement suggests.

“In addition, the partners share a number of concerns,” a European Commission spokesperson added. “Some authoritarian governments suppress freedom online. Others use digital tools to violate human rights. Partners against cyberattacks, the distribution of illegal content and disinformation, and the centralization of economic power.”

group formation

The topics are not new to Europe. The European Commission regularly proposes mission compliance laws. discontinuation of “centralization of economic power” under the Digital Markets Act; The Digital Services Act deals with “publishing illegal content.”

The scale of the initiative, on the other hand, is unique. The European Union, the United States and 32 countries form an alliance against each country with a different vision of the Internet. China did not sign the statement. The country openly uses the Internet to monitor the population. The state regularly contradicts the standards and values ​​of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This situation is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.