Final Results of the 2024 Internet Society Board of Trustees Elections and IETF Selections

The Internet Society Elections Committee is pleased to announce the final results of the 2024 elections and the IETF selections for the Board of Trustees. Voting concluded on 5 April. The results were announced, and the challenge period was opened on 8 April. The deadline to file challenges was 15 April at 15:00 UTC. No …

The US FCC Signals a Dangerous New Course on BGP Security

The US Federal Communications Commission recently released a draft Declaratory Ruling and Order in the Open Internet Proceeding. However, there is concerning language (paragraph 46) in this ruling that strongly implies the FCC’s intention to regulate border gateway protocol (BGP) routing security. While the FCC’s motives may be well-intentioned, regulating BGP routing security could have …

Protection for Intermediaries Is Vital for the Internet in Mexico

We often overlook the factors that enable the Internet to accommodate a wide range of applications, from real-time surgeries to viral memes, and individual expression. Some of those factors are technical and some are policy. A critical policy issue that has shaped the evolution of the Internet is the question: should websites and other online …

When “Free” Comes With Strings Attached

“Free streaming subscription with mobile plan!”“Data-free music streaming!””Use these top 3 social apps without using up your data!” These are just a few examples of the types of promotions you’ll see coming from telecommunications providers around the world to entice people into selecting their service. Users are keen to find the deal that best fits …

The Future is Now: A Young Changemaker’s Journey

The Night That Altered Everything One night a decade ago, an 11-year-old boy named Nojus Saad drifted off to sleep in rural northern Iraq, lulled by a cool breeze coming through the window and the song of crickets outside. Suddenly, this moment was shattered by frantic pounding on his front door. Only he and his …

What Governments Can Learn from Canada when Regulating Online Harms

The Government of Canada introduced Bill C-63, the Online Harms Act, on 26 February 2024. As the name implies, the Bill seeks to address certain harms that people see online through various public platforms. The Internet Society was extremely concerned about this legislation, mainly because early discussions of what the Bill might do contained alarming ideas about what …

Nevada Wants to Reduce Online Protections for Children: All Internet Users Should Benefit from Strong Encryption

Today we joined an effort to stop the State of Nevada from making it easier for children’s personal information to be obtained by child predators, criminal gangs, foreign nations, and others. The State of Nevada seems to think that children deserve less protection online. Under a misguided view of seeking to “protect” children, the State …

Everything You Need to Know to Build a Community Network

Accessing the Internet isn’t just challenging in many rural, remote, and low-income urban areas—it’s a significant hurdle. The digital divide looms large, it has many causes, and it affects people from diverse backgrounds all over the world.   Some impacted are from Indigenous communities that have been neglected due to lack of business interest, like in …

Bridging the Unemployment Gap for Young Female Graduates

Aminata Hélène Dackouo hurried along Bamako’s hot, dusty streets one morning in May 2023, intent on reaching her destination in time. Her heart raced, and she had butterflies in her stomach—she was about to ask a very important question, and the answer would significantly impact her future. Just a week earlier, she’d seen a post …