What internet are we looking for in 2020?

In 2019 we experienced major challenges involving the online environment. The use of facial recognition at Carnival, the proposed digital ENEM test and the companies’ race to comply with the General Personal Data Protection Act are just some of the many issues that we discuss and concern us all as citizens on the internet. Considering these challenges, it is always worth remembering that dialogue is the best way to live in society on the Internet, and for this purpose, the Internet Steering Committee in Brazil proposed the Principles for the Use and Governance of the Internet. Following are the 10 principles and how they can guide our building a better internet for everyone by 2020.

Freedom, privacy and human rights

We live in a society that is unfolded with all its dynamics also on the internet, so it is always important to remember that the dichotomy between online and offline is false. This way, our most basic rights are also more than valid when we use the internet.

At Carnival 2019 we saw the use of face recognition for public safety purposes and many debates about how user privacy should always be taken into consideration. No wonder in 2020, the General Law on Protection and Personal Data (LGPD) comes into force, which in its first plea lists “respect for privacy”, a right already protected in the Federal Constitution of 1988.

The boundaries between freedom of speech and hate speech have also been much discussed in recent years. According to a SaferNet survey, since 2006, 2,061,141 reports of hate crimes have been received. Thinking about this subject is delicate and requires special attention, but the most important thing is to understand that freedom of expression is a right that should not override any other, such as the right to one’s image, privacy or honor.

Democratic and collaborative governance

One of the main words always repeated in events that discuss internet is “Multisectorialism”. Considering the Internet as an environment that should maintain its collaborative character and democratic participation, decision-making and voice in discussions must also remain plural, after all, interests from various sectors that make up society are always at stake.

The participation of governments, academics, civil society and companies in the dynamics of the Internet aims to balance the interests of these various sectors and has been applied in many areas of discussion. As an example, there is the Internet Forum in Brazil, held by CGI.br annually and which brings national issues with participants from all sectors of society relevant to Internet governance. In addition, globally, there is also the IGF, which brings together participants from around the globe for discussions.

Beyond this model of participation, thinking of democratic and indeed collaborative governance also assumes the need for inclusion of people from different contexts. After all, besides the various sectors of society, there are several other factors to consider in proposals and discussions: geographical location, sociocultural context, and even spoken languages. As pointed out at the 9th Internet Forum in Brazil, we cannot say that internet access and use is the same in São Paulo and Amazonas, for example.

Universality

The principle of universality states that: “Internet access must be universal for it to be a means for social and human development, contributing to the construction of an inclusive and non-discriminatory society for the benefit of all.”

Although one of the major themes discussed in the last IGF has been digital inclusion, we still have great ways to go in consolidating a truly more inclusive internet in terms of access to infrastructure, digital tools usage and technology ownership. social participation. Thus, it is always worth mentioning that digital inclusion is an offshoot of social inclusion and that to promote it requires public policies, development strategies and also daily practices.

“Recognizing that our perspective is different from each other’s perspectives is essential for us to think, including all of these others, of new ways of creating that take into account various realities of use on the Internet.”

Diversity

According to João Brant, former Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, diversity brings challenges that must be articulated with freedom and respect. Thus, to think of the internet as a diverse environment is also to think of the representativeness of both people and narratives.

An interesting initiative presented in 2019 that proposes more respect and diversity on the internet was SaferLab, which gave a voice to Tela Preta, a guide with content on how to address racial issues in the classroom. LGBTQI + people and also many other projects that popularize diverse narratives in the online environment.

In addition, it is also worth remembering the # WomenOnGovernance campaign, which in addition to aggregating content from women on the Internet, also has a chatbot that seeks to include more and more women in the discussions. When the internet serves to empower minority voices, it uses its full potential for communication in favor of a more plural society.

Innovation

“Internet governance must promote the continued evolution and widespread diffusion of new technologies and models of use and access.”

Constantly updated and changing, the internet also poses major legal challenges in these processes. Last year discussions about cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Libra marked the financial market as the possible “future of money.” However, as we pointed out in one of our latest surveys, cryptocurrencies also pose problems such as the use of these financial assets for money laundering. While innovation must be an important premise for network development, one must always remember that every initiative

As network neutrality expert Barbara Ban Schewick says, while we must allow the architecture of the internet to develop, we must also maintain the characteristics that have made it such a good platform for innovation and economic development.

Network Neutrality

Keeping the network neutral means, according to Demi Getschko “not discriminating between source and destination addresses; do not look at content; not prohibit technically possible services on the network, both existing and future. ”According to the computer scientist, one of the pioneers of the Internet in Brazil, the internet can be understood as the street, which is different from homes. where the means of transport circulate. Thus, net neutrality aims to preserve the open architecture of the internet, allowing competition between sites and services and the free circulation of content. Thus, the company that gives access is regulated, not the content itself.

“A homeowner decides who can enter and when. But the street is public and neutral, transport must be public and neutral, the content transported must be inviolable and the dynamic evolution of the network must be kept open and free.”

Check out this text by Demi Getschko, where he explains neutrality by cherishing an agnostic network.

Network Inimputability

In Lynn St. Amour’s words: “We must govern the uses of the Internet and not itself.” This concept is about reaching the ultimate perpetrators of wrongdoing on the Internet, not the channels through which they circulate. We take as an example the whatsapp blockages that have occurred more than once since 2017. By opting for this type of action, users’ freedom of expression and individual communication is affected, undermining free access to information – a fundamental right provided for in the Civil Framework of Internet.

We also point out a case involving Nic.br being sued by an actress whose name was used as the domain of a site with pornographic content. However we know that responsibility cannot be delegated to a private institution.

Functionality, safety and stability

Both this principle and the following are primarily technical, and are concerned with setting standards across the internet to keep it functional, and good practices that increasingly result in a better scenario.

Yurie Ito states that “the internet is not designed to be a battlefield, but to make the world a better place for everyone. […] Everyone has a responsibility to keep the internet that way.” It is important that we work together, cherishing a healthy and safe online ecosystem and encouraging good practices.

Starting with your own security, it is advised that your accounts have two-factor verification and that you exercise caution with information and links posted on social networks. Scams and viruses sent via email and social networks through links that catch victims through trivial details. Check out the cert security booklet on the internet and be aware of your customs.

Standardization and Interoperability

If there is anything that distinguishes the Internet world from what data telecommunications networks once were, it is precisely this open and interoperable environment, allowing everyone to participate in its development and helping the user not to fall victim to the impositions of a large corporation.

Legal and regulatory environment

In the regulatory dynamic, the internet should be seen and used as a space for collaboration, ensuring a free and democratic network. It is necessary to remember the civil framework of the internet, a project that emerged in 2009 and was sanctioned in 2014. The law, which was initially debated in an open topic of a blog, dictates principles, rights and duties for users, and the determination of guidelines for State’s performance under the network.

The Principles for Internet Governance and Use are Just the Beginning

The principles provide elements for us to discuss together about governance and how the internet can be another social environment of cohesion, diversity, respect and freedom. And that is what IRIS, like many other independent organizations, is seeking and will continue to pursue in 2020.

To talk about the internet is to talk about society, and we must all contribute to the good use of the network, always aiming at the improvement and well-being of users. After all, how about remembering your role in internet governance?

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors.
Illustration by Freepik Stories