Global Internet, Opportunity for All
Delivering on the Internet’s Promise
Delivering on the
Internet’s Promise
We all hold a variety of ideas about the Internet’s promises and perils, but no one can deny the opportunities it has brought humanity.
The Internet has become an indispensable resource for information, communication, and human connection. It has fueled extraordinary economic growth and catalyzed social progress.
Yet, although the Internet uplifts people and enables communities to thrive, access to it remains limited. And some of those who have it are damaging it.
It is portrayed as a dangerous, untrustworthy space where bad actors and disinformation lurk. It is compromised by industrial interests that want to own it all and by governments who want to control it, fragment it, or shut it down completely.
The Internet is not a given constant that we can take for granted. It is at risk, which puts everything we love about it at stake. It is up to us to secure its future.
Countering Internet Threats
It is fashionable to blame the Internet for social problems—some that long predate the Internet, and some that are only more visible because of how it enables people to communicate easily.
The Internet needs an advocate. We are positioned to mobilize members, partners, and other supporters to raise our voices to protect the Internet.
In 2024, we will focus on:
- Sustaining our advocacy and education efforts in countries where we see important and influential threats emerging.
- Collaborating with allies across all regions to predict, flag, and respond to unanticipated threats with swift mobilization and advocacy tactics in ways that are complementary to our efforts at the United Nations (UN).
- Strengthening and growing our base of like-minded advocates to amplify our message to stop fragmentation.
Defending the Internet in the United Nations
Whether they know it or not, governments are increasingly adopting misguided policies that are slowly but surely making the Internet less open, less secure, and less accessible.
While many of these policy decisions are made by individual nation-states, we see these discussions becoming more acute in the UN, where governments discuss policy matters of global interest.
In 2024, we will focus on:
- Engaging in carefully chosen preparatory meetings at both global and regional levels.
- Joining forces with experts and partners across the Internet technical community to remind everyone how valuable the Internet is.
- Advocating for a single, global Internet and against choices that could fragment it and its multistakeholder governance.
- Leveraging our portfolio of tools and resources—like the Internet Impact Assessment Toolkit and the Internet fragmentation explainer—to inform policymakers, diplomats, and government officials how to make choices that do not harm the Internet.
Extending Encryption
Effective encryption is essential for keeping people safe and secure online.
Yet, governments call encryption a barrier to law enforcement and public safety. And companies resist end-to-end encryption in the interests of business models that depend on financial gain for user information.
In 2024, we will focus on:
- Showing policymakers and businesses that encryption is vital for online safety—especially for children.
- Informing governments how their decisions could make the Internet less secure.
- Mobilizing our network of members, partners, and supporters, including the Global Encryption Coalition (GEC), to amplify our pro-encryption message.
- Harnessing high-visibility moments, like Global Encryption Day, and running awareness campaigns throughout the year to get the attention of new supporters.
- Empowering GEC to lead advocacy and improve its diversity of funding and resources.
Guiding Constructive Internet Policy
Government efforts to regulate different aspects of the Internet are accelerating and intensifying across the world.
Many focus on making online services liable for the content that users produce and share—burdens that could prompt large and small Internet-based services and technologies to monitor, restrict, and censor our interactions online.
In 2024, we will focus on:
- Drawing from real-world policies and best practices to develop approaches that harm neither the Internet nor the ability of people to use it fully and securely.
- Seeking input from our member community as well as national and legal experts.
- Producing a modern policy framework that governments and other stakeholders can use to inform and revise national or regional policies and laws on intermediary liability.
Helping Shape Internet Legal Precedent
Courts of law play a decisive role in shaping the Internet and the rules and technologies that govern it, especially in the United States.
We aim to educate judges about how their decisions may affect the Internet. This way, we give the Internet and all users who count on it a voice in the courts.
In 2024, we will focus on:
- Providing US courts with technically accurate and non-partisan expertise via amicus curiae—Latin for “friend of the court”—briefs.
- Looking for and taking advantage of opportunities to intervene in courts in countries outside the US.
- Leveraging each brief to drive awareness of our position on specific cases and why they matter.
- Attracting new advocates who will represent the Internet in legal proceedings in the future.
Sharing Cutting Edge Knowledge
The Network and Distributed System Security (NDSS) Symposium is an international academic security conference focused on the latest in network and distributed system security.
For 30 years, the symposium has brought together academic and industry researchers and security practitioners worldwide to share knowledge and discuss top-tier, peer-reviewed research.
In 2024, we will focus on:
- Hosting an event that maintains its ranking as one of the leading cybersecurity conferences in the world.
- Connecting with the next generation of Internet security champions.
Securing Global Routing
A decade ago, we started an incubation project about routing security: Mutually Agreed Norms for Routing Security (MANRS).
After 10 years, MANRS has matured, steered by a robust and active community. We will collaborate with a partner organization, Global Cyber Alliance, which works to reduce cyber risk, to hand off the secretariat function of MANRS.
In 2024, we will focus on:
- Supporting the transition of the secretariat with more than USD $5 million in funding over five years.
- Continuing to operate MANRS training programs.
- Remaining active in the MANRS community and advocating for increased routing security.
We Will Build the Internet and Improve Its Resilience
Connecting the Unconnected
Connectivity is core to education, economic development, and social engagement.
We have long championed inclusive, community-centered ways to bridge the digital divide in areas unserved or underserved by traditional Internet providers.
In 2024, we will focus on:
- Scaling our efforts so that any community with access challenges can create and sustain local connectivity solutions.
- Promoting our existing resources, which include the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) toolkit, Community Network Readiness Assessment, and online training about building wireless networks.
- Introducing an additional toolkit that communities can use to advocate for policies and regulations that support community networks.
- Promoting more favorable policies on licensing, spectrum, and public funding for community networks.
- Working with partners to identify and leverage funding opportunities for local infrastructure.
Fostering Sustainable Peering Infrastructure
Helping people get more reliable, affordable, and resilient Internet access has long been a focus.
We work together with our valued partners to improve peering infrastructure through Internet Exchange Points (IXPs). By allowing traffic to remain local rather than traveling over expensive international links, IXPs are at the core of creating a vibrant local Internet ecosystem.
In 2024, we will focus on:
- Establishing or improving IXPs by sharing our knowledge, experience, and instructional resources.
- Advocating for favorable policies that promote a thriving and open connectivity market, peering and data center infrastructure, and local traffic and content.
- Continuing to support peering events across the globe to showcase best practices.
- Transitioning our role as organizer of the annual African Peering and Interconnection Forum (AfPIF) to the African IXP Association by 2025.
Measuring the Internet
Through the Internet Society Pulse platform, we measure and analyze the Internet’s health, availability, and evolution.
This information provides key stakeholders with valuable, actionable data and insights to effectively promote and defend the Internet.
In 2024, we will focus on:
- Driving the awareness of Internet Society Pulse among key audiences and encouraging the use of its data and insights.
- Training journalists on the technical concepts behind Internet shutdowns for more informed and data-driven reporting.
- Advising decision-makers about shortcomings in their country’s Internet resilience and the adverse economic and human impact of Internet shutdowns.
- Improving the interface and user experience of the Internet Society Pulse website.
We Will Scale Impact through Mobilization and Capacity Building
Mobilizing a Strong Community to Protect the Internet
Our strength and scale come from our dedicated community of members.
We will continue to empower our chapters, special interest groups, and organization members to take concerted action, focus on opportunities that support sustainable growth, and work together to amplify greater impact.
In 2024, we will focus on:
- Helping members make the most of our new association management software so they can work more effectively with us to protect the Internet.
- Engaging organization members in a more structured and targeted way to improve member retention.
- Creating opportunities for consistent engagement with and among chapters, special interest groups, and organization members.
Recognizing Internet Pioneers
The Internet is the most significant invention in the past 50 years, thanks to the visionaries who made it what it is today.
We proudly offer several awards programs to recognize these extraordinary people. By honoring their work, we inspire the next generation of Internet leaders and champions.
In 2024, we will focus on:
- Combining the Internet Hall of Fame, the Jonathan B. Postel Service Award, the Applied Networking Research Prize, and the Itojun Service Award into a more cohesive approach.
- Inspiring future Internet leaders with mentorship and guidance from Awardees and Internet Hall of Fame inductees.
Developing Internet Leaders to Protect the Internet
Future Internet leaders are developed today.
We equip professionals and learners with the experience, skills, knowledge, and connections they need to make the biggest possible impact on the Internet. Our youth ambassador program, early career fellowship, and mid career fellowship are key to identifying and developing Internet leaders.
In 2024, we will focus on:
- Supporting our ambassadors and fellows as they implement projects that grow and strengthen the Internet.
- Scaling our in-person training and e-learning offerings in partnership with local education institutions and chapters.
- Supporting our pool of trainers to deliver virtual or in-person training using our materials and resources.
- Nurturing our alumni network.
Equipping Policymakers with Internet Technology Insight
Educating and building trusted relationships with policymakers has become a crucial aspect of our advocacy strategy, especially as we increasingly see governing bodies making decisions or promoting policies that could fragment the Internet or harm its design and operation.
In 2024, we will focus on:
- Continuing our Policymakers Program at Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) meetings.
- Helping participants gain a more robust understanding of how the open standards process at the IETF works, the technical basics of the Internet, and an appreciation for the open, globally connected, secure, and trustworthy Internet.
- Enabling in-person networking so participants can build trusting relationships with key stakeholders.
We Will Sustain the Health of Our Organization and Programs
Securing Resources for Growth and Greater Impact
The Internet Society is a global charity that relies on the continued backing of our supporters.
We seek funding relationships with public and private foundations, companies and multinational corporations, other nonprofit organizations, funding institutions, and individual donors. These contributions will help us keep the Internet a place of opportunity for everyone.
In 2024, we will focus on:
- Expanding and diversifying funding sources while improving general awareness about our status as a global charitable organization.
- Guiding the organization and community to participate in our collective fundraising efforts.
