US, 60 Countries Unite in Declaration To Protect Internet From Censorship, Disinformation

The United States together with some other 60 countries came together to announce its advocacy of protecting the internet from censorship and disinformation.

In the "Declaration for the Future of the Internet," the U.S. and its partners laid out priorities for an "open, free, global, interoperable, reliable, and secure" internet.

The Declaration highlights goals like affordability, net neutrality, and removing illegal content without curtailing free expression, as per The Verge's report. However, it offers only few specifics for achieving them.

'Declaration' Represents Political Commitment of the US and its Partners

"This Declaration represents a political commitment among Declaration partners to advance a positive vision for the Internet and digital technologies," The White House said in a statement on its website.

The White House also stated that the Declaration "reclaims the promise of the Internet in the face of the global opportunities and challenges presented by the 21st century."

The Declaration's principles include commitments to "protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of all people."

It is also after "promoting a global Internet that advances the free flow of information," as well as "advance inclusive and affordable connectivity so that all people can benefit from the digital economy."

Moreover, the Declaration "promotes trust in the global digital ecosystem, including through protection of privacy, and protect and strengthen the multistakeholder approach to governance that keeps the Internet running for the benefit of all."

The U.S. and its partners promised to work together to promote the Declaration's vision and principles globally. This is while maintaining each other's regulatory autonomy.

The White House said that under this vision, "people everywhere will benefit from an Internet that is unified, unfragmented, facilitates global communications and commerce, and supports freedom, innovation, education and trust."

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US and Partners Are United by a Belief in the Potential of Digital Technologies

The "Declaration for the Future of the Internet" opening statement stated that US and its partners believed in the potential of digital technologies.

"We are united by a belief in the potential of digital technologies to promote connectivity, democracy, peace, the rule of law, sustainable development, and the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms," the Declaration stated.

Thus, they call for a new "Declaration for the Future of the Internet" that includes all partners who actively support a future for the Internet that is an open, free, global, interoperable, reliable, and secure.

The Declaration reclaims the promise of the internet. It also aims for a global internet, through "refraining from government-imposed internet shutdowns or degrading domestic Internet access."

According to the Verge, the declaration emphasizes that the internet should be decentralized and globally interconnected, and that countries should "refrain from undermining the technical infrastructure essential to the general availability and integrity of the internet."

The Declaration aims for an inclusive and affordable access to the internet through "promotion of affordable, inclusive, and reliable access to the Internet, support to digital literacy, skills acquisition, and development, and fostering of greater exposure to diverse cultural and multilingual content, information, and news online."

However, despite its name, the declaration is broad enough that it doesn't tell us much about how countries will shape the future of the internet, as per The Verge report.