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Resource Library

Everyone should have access to an open and trusted Internet.
Read our reports, papers, and other documents for insight and vision on how we can get there.

Action Plan 2024

Our roadmap for tackling the threats and challenges for today’s Internet as we look to grow and defend it for future generations.

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2023 Year in Review

The Year in Review shows the steps we took in 2023 to ensure the Internet is for everyone. Learn about the positive difference we made for the Internet.

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Internet Impact Briefs

Shorter reports that analyze how different policies or new technologies may affect what the Internet needs to exist and thrive.

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Global Internet Report (GIR)

From trust to consolidation, access to sustainability, a deep look at the forces shaping our digital future.

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Policy Briefs

Our perspective on critical Internet issues, including community networks, encryption, open Internet standards, Internet Exchange Points, and more.

Internet Impact Brief: End-to-end Encryption under the UK’s Draft Online Safety Bill

This brief uses the Internet Impact Assessment Toolkit (IIAT) to assess how the limitations placed on the use of end-to-end encryption under the UK’s Online Safety Bill may affect the ...

2021 Indigenous Connectivity Summit Policy Recommendations

Indigenous Peoples in North America are pursuing innovative and independent ways to connect to the Internet. They face unique challenges to connectivity and, when it comes to policymaking, they ...

Enablers of an Open, Globally Connected, Secure and Trustworthy Internet

The Enablers of an Open, Globally Connected, Secure and Trustworthy Internet are what help us get closer to the Internet we all want – now and in the future ...

How to Conduct an Internet Impact Brief

Find simple explanations of the goals, critical properties and enablers of the Internet, and a step-by-step guide to conducting and writing your own Internet impact brief ...

Internet Impact Brief: Mandated Browser Root Certificates in the European Union’s eIDAS Regulation on the Internet

This report uses the Internet Impact Assessment Toolkit (IIAT) to assess how the EU’s proposal may affect the global Internet by impacting what the Internet needs to thrive as an ...

Internet Impact Brief: 2021 Indian Intermediary Guidelines and the Internet Experience in India

This report uses the Internet Impact Assessment Toolkit to assess how the 2021 Indian Intermediary Guidelines may affect the global Internet by impacting what the Internet needs to thrive as ...

Internet Impact Brief: Canada’s Proposed Online Harms Legislation and the Internet

This report uses the Internet Impact Assessment Toolkit (IIAT) to assess how the Canada’s proposed online harms bill may affect the global Internet by impacting what the Internet needs to ...

Internet Impact Brief: Technical Architecture of the GAIA-X Project

This report uses the Internet Impact Assessment Toolkit (IIAT) to assess how the GAIA-X concepts may affect the global Internet by impacting what the Internet needs to thrive as an ...

Measuring the Impact of Local IXPs

How do local Internet exchanges affect Asia-Pacific? Internet exchange point hubs are increasingly playing a critical role in making local Internet faster and more affordable. So how does the ...

Factsheet: How Encryption Can Protect Advocacy Groups and Social Change Movements

Encryption is a tool designed to help Internet users keep their online data and communications private and secure. It plays a critical role in protecting day-to-day digital activities like ...

Internet Impact Brief: Revised Directive on Security of Network and Information (NIS2) – Presidency Compromise Proposal September 2021

This report uses the Internet Impact Assessment Toolkit (IIAT) to assess how the Presidency compromise proposal from 21 September 2021 may affect the global Internet by impacting what the Internet ...

Reimagining the Summit on Community Networks in Africa during the COVID-19 Pandemic

With almost half the world’s population offline and left out, there has been one clear lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic. Access to affordable Internet connectivity and digital ...

Archives

DNS Privacy Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Almost every time we use an Internet application, it starts with a Domain Name System (DNS) transaction to map a human-friendly domain name into a set of IP addresses that ...

IPv6 Security for IPv4 Engineers

This document provides an overview of IPv6 security that is specifically aimed at IPv4 engineers and operators. Rather than describing IPv6 in an isolated manner, it aims to re-use as ...

Introduction to DNS Privacy

Almost every time we use an Internet application, it starts with a Domain Name System (DNS) transaction to map a human-friendly domain name into a set of IP addresses that ...

IPv6 Security Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The Internet Society recognises that global deployment of the IPv6 protocol is paramount to accommodate the present and future growth of the Internet. Given the scale at which IPv6 must ...

10 Goals for Good Privacy Protection Law

The concept of digital “privacy” refers to an individual’s right to determine when, how, and to what extent their personal data can be shared. Privacy is essential to our ability ...

9 Steps Companies Must Take to Ensure Data Privacy

Many Internet companies have extraordinary access to individuals’ personal data – their actions, their friends, their preferences, their interests – and their most intimate secrets. These companies should handle this ...

2018 Email Marketing & Unsubscribe Audit

The 2018 Email Marketing & Unsubscribe Audit found that the vast majority of audited online retailers have embraced unsubscribe best practices, going beyond mere compliance, and have shown continued improvement ...

Best Practices: Email Unsubscribe

Email is a vibrant channel for marketers to connect with consumers on many fronts, providing an important value exchange between consumers and industry. Marketing emails can range from promotional offers ...

The Internet Society Survey on Policy Issues in Asia-Pacific 2018

This year’s survey focuses on the security and privacy of the Internet of Things (IoT)—the rapidly expanding network of devices, physical objects, services and applications that communicate over the Internet ...

Routing Security for Policymakers

Although unseen to the average user, Internet Protocol (IP) routing underpins the Internet. By ensuring that packets[1] go where they are supposed to, routing[2] has a central role in the ...

The Internet and Extra-Territorial Effects of Laws

How to avoid rule-setting and decision-making that will constrain the Internet around the world
The Internet is global, so regulations and court decisions that affect it may have extra-territorial[1] effects ...

ITU Plenipotentiary 2018 – Issues Matrix

This chart identifies issues, areas of concern, organizations impacted, etc., on a best-effort basis. Suggestions to improve this work are welcome. The Internet Society has analysed outcomes of the 2018 ...

Organization Reports

On annual basis, we publish annual reports (an Action Plan and Impact Report), as well as financial reports, annual financial statements, and Form 990s.