President Obama should actively promote global Internet freedom using all the available tools of trade, aid and diplomacy.
Many countries look to the U.S. for leadership on Internet policy. When the U.S. government, either through legislation or executive action, impinges on online free speech or lowers or evades standards and procedures for surveillance, it undermines efforts to improve Internet freedom around the world. U.S. Internet policy must set a standard for the world with respect to protection of civil liberties.
The United States government should promote global Internet freedom in unilateral negotiations and multilateral forums. The President should make Internet freedom an explicit part of international trade and foreign aid policies, pushing nations seeking favorable trade deals or U.S. financial assistance to adopt sound Internet policies.
President Obama should urge U.S. Internet companies to adopt and adhere to a strong set of global human rights principles.
U.S. Internet companies are increasingly faced with government demands to assist with censorship and to turn over personal information about users, putting free expression, privacy and liberty at risk.
Rights groups and the U.S. Congress have harshly criticized Internet companies for limiting online expression and privacy in response to government requests in China and elsewhere. Legislation is pending in Congress to prohibit U.S. companies from complying with government demands and laws that are contrary to international human rights.
While there is significant disagreement about whether legislation is the right remedy, there is widespread agreement that Internet companies need a set of global principles - such as those developed by the Global Network Initiative - to guide them when faced with laws, policies and practices that compromise free expression and privacy worldwide.
