IGF 2022 Town Hall #80 Internet sanctions: infringement to multi-stakeholder model

Time
Wednesday, 30th November, 2022 (09:00 UTC) - Wednesday, 30th November, 2022 (10:00 UTC)
Room
Banquet Hall A

Panel - Auditorium - 60 Min

Description

In March 2022, the European Commission put in place restrictive measures to block the website of RT and Sputnik News. This could hint at a new era in Internet Governance: an era in which governmental bodies impose policies and regulations top-down, thereby bypassing the consensus driven and bottom-up multi-stakeholder model which lays at the core of Internet Governance. To what extent should governing bodies be able to impose Internet sanctions? What is an appropriate scope for sanctions? Should governing bodies be able to require Internet Service Providers to block certain websites?

In the Netherlands, AMS-IX and ECP | Platform for the Information Society brought together public and private partners in a neutral setting to create an argument map with all arguments in favor of and against this internet blockade. Using the following question as a starting point: “What are the arguments in the Netherlands for and against the EU regulation requiring Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block the websites of RT and Sputnik News?”, experts from 30 different organizations came together in a neutral setting to create this argument map. This argument map can be used as a starting point to initiate follow-up discussion, both on a national and international level.

We will facilitate interaction and participation both onsite and online, through the use of both an onsite and an online moderator. We will make use of the chat function and other technical facilities to include participation both online and onsite.

Organizers

ECP | Platform for the Information Society

  • Marjolijn Bonthuis, ECP | Platform for the Information Society, civil society, WEOG
  • Roelof Meijer, SIDN, technical community, WEOG
  • Stephanie Teeuwen, ECP | Platform for the Information Society, civil society, WEOG
Speakers

Guus van Zwoll - Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Neeti Biyani - ISOC

Bastiaan Goslings - RIPE NCC

Mieke van Heesewijk - SIDN Foundation

Erica Moret - Graduate Institute Geneva

Onsite Moderator

Marjolijn Bonthuis

Online Moderator

Stephanie Teeuwen

Rapporteur

Stephanie Teeuwen

SDGs

9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
9.1
9.5
9.a
9.b
9.c
17. Partnerships for the Goals
17.16
17.17
17.6
17.8
17.9

Targets: It is pertinent to facilitate a dialogue on Internet sanctions, to prevent further infringement on the multi-stakeholder model. In order to achieve the SDGs, it is essential to safeguard this multi-stakeholder approach and prevent Internet fragmentation by ensuring one united and resilient, open, free, and secure Internet.