Preface by the Collaboratory Steering Group - MIND 7
Preface by the Collaboratory Steering Group - MIND 7
Internet Governance for the Cloud Society
The discourse on Internet Governance has reached an inflection point. It has become clear what is really at stake for our societies. Billions of individuals spend a considerable part of their lives online: we communicate and work, we shop and study, we discuss and argue via the Internet. This development is unstoppable and it is changing our society. However, the Internet does not only have an ever growing impact of the lives of individuals, but it increasingly shapes the life of organizations alike. Nations and corporations are also online, administering, governing, doing business and enunciating their interests. Internet governance, therefore, is subject to a complex global struggle for power in the information age.
It is our challenge to reconcile the desire for user data by industry and government with the fundamental rights and basic principles of civil rights and privacy. At the same time, the open and unrestricted character of the Internet needs to be preserved, as this openness drives knowledge, progress, growth and vital infrastructures - not just in the so-called first world.
Privacy, however, is impossible to protect and strengthen without true global cooperation and willingness by governments and corporations alike. Internet Governance used to be about domain names and IP addresses. Nowadays, we need to build a global consensus on how to translate concepts of privacy, democracy, freedom and security into a world where big data, ubiquitous access, and the Internet of things transform how we live. With this issue, we hope to contribute to this debate. We must ensure that the Internet benefits society.
The Collaboratory steering group
Martin G. Löhe (chair), Dr. Marianne Wulff (vice chair), Dr. Michael Littger, Lena-Sophie Müller, Dr. Philipp S. Müller
