US Joins International Coalition in Declaration for Open Internet

The U.S. joined more than 60 countries in a shared commitment to an open, inclusive, interoperable internet that respects basic human rights, they said Thursday. The Declaration for the Future of the Internet is a response to “rising digital authoritarianism” in countries like Russia and China, White House officials said during a press call Wednesday, citing repression of freedom of expression, news censorship, election interference and disinformation. The EU, Ukraine, Japan, Canada, New Zealand and Australia were among those endorsing the declaration. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo praised the declaration and applauded President Joe Biden’s goal of connecting “every single American to high-speed internet.” The declaration is “a timely opportunity to recommit to a shared vision of the global Internet as an open platform for opportunity, innovation, and understanding,” said NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson. Computer and Communications Industry Association President Matt Schruers said “a collaborative approach among like-minded democratic countries is needed to combat growing government threats to the open Internet,” and the tech sector is ready for partnership. The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation raised concerns about opening the door for the EU to export its “innovation-limiting policy regime.” The declaration “should be scaled back considerably to address what are principally cross-border issues, such as cybersecurity, cross-border data flows and data localization,” as well as a commitment to trustworthy infrastructure and nondiscrimination, said Senior Policy Analyst Ashley Johnson.