A coalition of twenty-four civil society organisations have today written to leaders of the G20, urging a new model for digital development that places the public interest at the forefront of its agenda. The open letter comes as the 2018 G20 summit gets under way in Argentina.
The signatories, comprising regional and international CSOs including the NetBlocks Group and its allies in the digital rights sector, have outlined five key areas G20 countries must focus on to ensure a safe, secure and inclusive digital future that serves the interests of the general public.
We urge G20 members to invest significantly in expanding affordable Internet access for everyone -including through community networks- to boost economies and digital literacy programmes, thus empowering all individuals to reap the benefits of the digital age.
We urge the G20 members to adopt, apply and enforce a comprehensive approach to privacy that protects all users’ privacy and personal data, whether citizens or not. People must be given more control and agency over their data.
We urge G20 members to promote freedom of expression online by adopting positions and policies that are consistent with maintaining an open internet for everyone.
We urge the G20 members to develop cybersecurity approaches in close collaboration with all stakeholders that protect human rights and values, and preserve the Internet as a global public resource. Promoting strong encryption is essential to both these aims.
We urge G20 members to ensure that competition in the digital economy is sustainable, that the market encourages new entrants and the interoperability of new services, and that consumers are protected from unfair practices.
Speaking at the launch of the campaign, NetBlocks director Alp Toker said,
“We need to introduce a rights-based approach to support the booming G20 digital economy. To support a sustainable digital future, cyber-security must be enhanced, the rights of minorities and at-risk groups must be protected and corporate interests must be balanced with the interests of the general public. We believe the G20 countries are best positioned to show the way on social responsibility and with this letter we reach out to those leaders at the meeting in Argentina to take action.”
A copy of the letter as sent to the G20 leaders is available for download and the G20 open letter campaign site will continue to track new signatories and responses as they are received.
We joined a coalition of 24 civil society groups urging #G20 leaders to place human rights, privacy, security and inclusion at the center of their work to build resilient digital economies. See our interactive write-up of the 5 key points:https://t.co/CbSyB6w3WJ
— NetBlocks (@netblocks) May 24, 2018
On 24 May the letter will be opened up to new signatories who share the vision of a rights-based approach to digital development.
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