U.S. President Joe Biden addresses officials from more than 100 countries during the Democracy Summit December 9, 2021 at the White House in Washington. NICHOLAS KAM / AFP
The United States announced Thursday, April 28, that it will form a coalition in support of an “open, free, global, interoperable, reliable, and secure” Internet. Sixty countries have joined this partnership, including most of the world’s major democracies except India, South Africa and Brazil. The deal was formalized in an online ministerial-level meeting chaired by Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser.
The launch of the Alliance for the Future of the Internet was announced in December 2021 and was to take place on the sidelines of the Democracy Summit organized by the US Presidency on December 9th and 10th. However, a lot of criticism had led to its postponement. NGOs defending digital freedoms felt the initiative was rushed, adopted without real consultation, and likely to further divide the internet. The alliance was described in particular as an “anti-Chinese club”.
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The Biden administration says it has taken the blame to heart. The initiative was renamed “Declaration on the Future of the Internet” instead of “Alliance”. China and Russia are clearly being targeted, but the US government is sticking to its “One Internet Vision for the World,” a government official said ahead of the partnership’s official announcement. “Honestly, we’re not here to fragment the internet, we’re here to save it. »
Far removed from the ideals of the early days of the Internet
In the text, published on April 28, signatories lament the “rise of digital authoritarianism” in which certain countries suppress freedom of expression, censor independent news sites, meddle in elections and promote disinformation. Cybercrime, sometimes “state-sponsored”, compromises the security of essential infrastructure. The text regrets that the Internet has moved away from its original ideals. This is reflected in the economic concentration of the sector rather than the promised decentralization or storage of users’ personal data for commercial purposes.
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On the other hand, the signatories pledge to work to strengthen democratic institutions, protect the privacy of individuals, maintain the free flow of information and provide citizens with access to reliable and affordable connections. They say they want to fight online violence without compromising freedom of expression by fighting illegal content. They promise not to use “the internet or algorithmic tools for unlawful surveillance” of citizens or to set up “social control mechanisms” or preventive detention.
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