[Chapter-delegates] NEWS RELEASE: Internet Society Board of Trustees Calls on the Global Internet Community to Stand Together to Support Open Internet Access, Freedom, and Privacy

[Halbersztadt Jozef (jothal)]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Wende Cover <cover at isoc.org>
Date: 2013/8/4
Subject: [Chapter-delegates] NEWS RELEASE: Internet Society Board of
Trustees Calls on the Global Internet Community to Stand Together to
Support Open Internet Access, Freedom, and Privacy
To: "chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org" <chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org>


Internet Society Board of Trustees Calls on the Global Internet
Community to Stand Together to Support Open Internet Access, Freedom,
and Privacy



Fundamental ideals of the Internet are under threat



[Berlin, Germany, 4 August 2013] – The Internet Society Board of
Trustees during its meeting in Berlin, Germany today called on the
global Internet community to stand together in support of open
Internet access, freedom, and privacy. Recently exposed information
about government Internet surveillance programs is a wake-up call for
Internet users everywhere – the fundamental ideals of the Internet are
under threat.



The Internet Society Board of Trustees believes that government
Internet surveillance programs create unacceptable risks for the
future of a global, interoperable, and open Internet. Robert Hinden,
Chair of the Board of Trustees, stated, “Berlin is a city where
freedom triumphed over tyranny. Human and technological progress are
not based on building walls, and we are confident that the human
ideals of communication and creativity will always route around these
kinds of attempts to constrain them. We are especially disappointed
that the very governments that have traditionally supported a more
balanced role in Internet governance are consciously and deliberately
hosting massive Internet surveillance programs.”



In the brief period since these surveillance programs were revealed to
the general public, the Internet Society Board stated there are
already chilling effects on global trust and confidence on the
Internet ecosystem. The fact that information about surveillance
programs is emerging primarily from countries with a long history of
supporting the open Internet is particularly disturbing. As the next
billion people come online, these countries should be expected to
demonstrate leadership in support of the values that underpin the
global Internet. In the wake of these announcements, the Internet
Society encourages a return to multistakeholder cooperation to
preserve the benefits of the Internet ecosystem for all.



The Internet Society Board of Trustees expects governments to fully
engage with their citizens in an open dialogue on how to reconcile
national security and the fundamental rights of individuals. Security
should not be at the cost of individual rights and, in this context,
the Board welcomes the initiative by some civil society organizations
to promote "International Principles on the Application of Human
Rights to Communications Surveillance." The Internet Society endorses
these principles, and emphasizes the importance of proportionality,
due process, legality, and transparent judicial oversight. The
Internet Society believes that surveillance without any such
safeguards risks undermining the sustainability of the open Internet.



“In the spirit of the pioneers and early innovators of the Internet
that were honored this week at the 2013 Internet Hall of Fame
ceremony, we urge the global Internet community to defend against
attempts by governments to fragment the Internet either through overt
regulation or hidden surveillance programs,” commented Lynn St. Amour,
President and CEO of the Internet Society. “We must reassert the
global spirit of community that is at the heart of the Internet’s
growth and success, and stand firm in our belief that openness and
collaboration is the best path forward.”




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