Link to full paperAbstractThe internet was commercialized in 1994, shortly before TPRC25. At that time there were some 70 million users, mostly in developed countries, and the personal computer was the main device for accessing the internet. Today there are some 4.9 billion internet users in 200 jurisdictions; the mobile phone is the world’s most widely used communications device; and the ubiquitous smartphone has become the most common means of accessing the internet and using its applications and services, including social media platforms.
The growth of social media over the last 20 years has paralleled that of the internet as a whole. Today there are an estimated 4.6 billion social media users worldwide, almost 95% of total internet users. The most popular platforms, like Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and Twitter, count their regular users in the billions and hundreds of millions. On average, these users spend 2.5 hours on social media each day.
The internet has transformed our economy and society. The enormous socio-economic benefits derived from its use have largely been appropriated over the last 25 years. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, creating the most serious global health crisis in a century, it triggered major new uses which brought out the best of the internet. Tele-education, Tele-medicine, E-Commerce and Online Payments are now perceived widely as essential services. The power and reach of social media platforms have also increased greatly, as has their ability to provide communications to disadvantaged groups.
However, the internet was never designed for secure commercial and social use at a global scale. It developed outside the kinds of legal and regulatory frameworks that governed the growth of previous communication technologies. A global “network of networks” with intelligence at the edges, it does not respect national jurisdictions and lacks a robust governance structure at the applications and content layers. Consequently, the negative developments or “Dark Side” are steadily increasing in scale and scope.
The pandemic exacerbated some of the internet’s worst aspects: an upsurge in hacking, identity theft, cyber-crime, etc. More serious is the social cost resulting from an erosion of trust and confidence in institutions and governments, caused by the unconstrained use of social media to express extreme views, harass political opponents, propagate “alternative facts” and conspiracy theories. Many countries are experiencing the enormous negative impacts of these developments on the political discourse that is the lifeblood of democratic societies.
The benefits, costs and trade-offs related to the internet and its use need to be understood better. The challenge here is to draw a line between unrestrained freedom of speech and controlling mis/disinformation, that may be “legal” but detrimental to the public interest. Who decides, using what criteria? This may require a mix of new laws “with teeth” that engage users, platform providers and regulators (e.g. the UK Online Safety Bill), along with broad-based education in digital literacy, civics and socially appropriate usage.
Currently there are no entities that can govern and enforce acceptable behavior across the global internet. In April 2022 the US, EU and some other countries came up with a Declaration for the Future of the Internet. What is needed is a multi-stakeholder, ecosystem approach where all actors will see it in their self-interest to create and participate in a secure and trusted global internet. The UN suggests that it can provide a platform for all stakeholders such as governments, the private sector and civil society, to deliberate the provision of universal digital access and a global, trusted internet. The TPRC could also play a role in providing an impartial and scholarly forum, in which the pros and cons of a variety of such ideas and initiatives could be discussed and debated.
UN initiatives related to the Internet started with the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) 2003/2005 and the Tunis Agenda. They continued with WSIS + 10 in New York (2015); a WSIS + 20 is planned for 2025.
In 2020 the UN General Assembly made a Declaration to “Improve Digital cooperation and ensure safe and affordable digital access for all”. The UN Secretary General’s 2021 Report “Our Common Agenda” proposed a “Summit of the Future” in 2023. The SG proposed that the UN, Governments, the private sector and civil society could come together to prepare a multi-stakeholder digital technology track for the Summit. The goal would be to agree on a Global Digital Compact to “outline shared principles for an open, free and secure digital future for all”. Issues to be discussed could include: avoiding fragmentation of the internet, and promoting a trustworthy internet by introducing accountability criteria.
