Dual Crisis: The splintering of the open Internet

We assume the internet is a resilient, always-on utility. But is it?  Today, the principles that made the Internet an open, unified platform are under threat. Why? Simply put, because of a convergence of policy overreach and technical mandates that threaten to create a slow, expensive, and insecure “splinternet.” This threat is complicated by a push for “digital sovereignty”, as was most recently on display at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), where the core principles of openness, multi-stakeholder governance, and decentralization were challenged. How do we preserve the utility we all rely on from being choked, fragmented, and/or controlled? Join us for a conversation with Sally Wentworth, the President and CEO of the Internet Society (ISOC). Formerly the Assistant Director for Telecommunications and Information Policy at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and a leading voice in bridging the gap between technical experts and global policymakers. Hosted by: Alexa Raad and Leslie Daigle. Further reading: Russia blocks Snapchat and restricts Apple’s FaceTime, state officials say How Pakistan Accidentally Took Down YouTube for the World in 2008 The PRC’s Evolving Cyber Laws and Implications for Southeast Asia’s Digital Economy and Integration The Fight to Overturn FOSTA, an Unconstitutional Internet Censorship Law, Continues Statement on behalf of the Internet Society at WSIS+20 HLM The views and opinions expressed in this program are our own and may not reflect the views or positions of our employers.