Blog – Internet Rights and Principles Coalition

European net neutrality, at last?

LUCA BELLI and CHRISTOPHER T. MARSDEN 4 October 2016 – openDemocracy

Net neutrality is the principle mandating that internet traffic be managed in a non-discriminatory fashion, in order to fully safeguard internet users’ rights.
Starting from 30 August 2016, all EU and EEA members have finally obtained guidance on how to implement sound net neutrality provisions. The path has been tortuous and uneasy, starting from not neutrality, reaching an open Internet compromise and, finally, attaining net neutrality protections. In this article, we briefly recount how net neutrality evolved in Europe, and the significant progress achieved by the recently adopted net neutrality ‘Guidelines’.

Open Democracy Special Feature: Human Rights / The Internet

Edited by M.I. Franklin former co-chair of the IRPC and member of the IRPC Steering Committee

How to respond to governments’ plans to legalise mass online surveillance around the world and clamp down on media diversity in the name of national security, to relentless corporate intrusions into our personal lives online, or the corrosive effects of cyber-bullying? This new series brings scholars, digital activists, artists, technical and legal experts, and human rights advocates together to set a critical agenda for considering the full spectrum of how human rights should relate to the internet’s future.

My experience at the Sri Lankan IGF 2016

By Shreedeep Rayamajhi | Social activist / blogger | Member of the IRPC Steering Committee

Running around with the tag of social activist and blogger, I have realized people look at you from a different view but working towards changing society, it’s not always easy.
Being part of the national Sri Lankan IGF 2016 was indeed an inspiring opportunity. Its’ a great achievement not just from individual level but from the regional level. Asia is moving forward in terms of Internet governance process and its partnership which indeed shows the level of enthusiasm and excitement.

One in Three: Internet Governance and Children’s Rights

Professor Sonia Livingstone discusses how internet governance needs to consider the specific rights and needs of children, both in terms of protection from harm as well as the right to access and use digital media.

Highlights and Updates of Recent IRPC Activity

This is an important milestone in the public timeline of the Charter work and a terrific time to show support for the Charter and other Dynamic Coalitions by commenting on submissions on the IGF website

Forza Internet Rights: IRPC Charter as Source of Inspiration for Innovative Italian Declaration of Internet Rights

http://nexa.polito.it/declaration-internet-rights

On 28 July 2015, Laura Boldrini, the speaker of Italy’s House of Deputies announced the publication of Italian Declaration of Internet Rights. She called it the “first time that a parliament produces a declaration on Internet rights of constitutional inspiration and international scope”. Drawn up in a multistakeholder process the drafting phase also included multiple drafts, the last of which was also discussed on the IRP list in March of this year.

In first case of its kind, UK high court rules surveillance law unconstitutional

Controversial surveillance legislation hustled through parliament last summer has been ruled unlawful by the UK High Court, which argued that the vague terms and descriptions of powers in the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act 2014 (DRIPA) renders the act incompatible with human rights under European law.

David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression

“…The the use of encryption and anonymity tools and better digital literacy should be encouraged. Encryption and anonymity depend on their widespread adoption and I encourage states, civil society organizations, and corporations, to engage in a campaign to bring encryption by design and default to users around the world. And when necessary, to ensure that users at risk, be provided the tools that exercise their right to freedom of opinion and expression securely.”

Since the Snowden revelations, more people have joined the discussion on digital rights, but change requires more than conversation

In recent years, the Snowden revelations and debates in the UK and US around the scope of government surveillance have brought the issue of privacy in the digital age a greater audience than ever before. Hanane Boujemi argues that society must change its attitude to where boundaries lie if rights are to be meaningfully protected in the online sphere.

Session 9: Freedom of Expression and Privacy, 4 March 2015; 9.30-10.50am.

This report hopefully captures the main themes and points for further discussion. An almost live transcript of the session can be found on the live blog link at Internet Rights and Principles Coalition website.
This panel considered the legal, technical, and political practicalities that emerge when the right to privacy and freedom of information are considered as interrelated; it discussed the differences in stakes, levels of action and of analysis at this intersection of fundamental freedoms online alongside their consequences in practical terms for ordinary internet users, content producers on the web, activists, and media professionals.