IGF Panel: Advancing Digital Inclusion through the Freedom Online Coalition

The panel  “Advancing Digital Inclusion through the Freedom Online Coalition: Responding to Internet Fragmentation” at the Internet Governance Forum took place on Tuesday, November 29 from 5:30pm to 6:30pm EAT.

The open, interconnected and interoperable Internet is increasingly under threat, with technical, legislative, and policy developments further risking furthering a “splinternet”. The Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) is increasingly concerned by threats such as bans or restrictions on international data flows, interference with free expression, privacy, and/or encryption; and Internet shutdowns.

This panel provided participants with the opportunity to explore the intended and unintended causes and potential effects of Internet fragmentation. It brought together multistakeholder experts from civil society, academia, and industry, with an emphasis on the necessity for human rights to be centered in all discussions related to the governance of digital technology and the Internet.