Global Internet Freedom After Dubai: An event with the U.S. Senate Global Internet Freedom Caucus

The transformative power of the Internet has seized the imagination of millions in the United States and abroad. The Arab Spring and other popular movements highlight the role of new communications tools in spurring political change. At the same time, autocratic governments seek to suppress the free use of these tools. The U.S. government has articulated a strategy of promoting global Internet freedom, and Congress has a key role to play in determining how America will manage this key foreign policy issue.

On February 12, CNAS hosted an event with the U.S. Senate Global Internet Freedom Caucus to explore the major issues affecting Internet governance in 2013, including the outcome of the recent World Conference on International Telecommunications in Dubai and the increasing divisiveness over the role of governments in regulating the Internet.    

The event featured a panel discussion among experts, including: Ambassador David Gross, former U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy; Ross LaJeunesse, Global Head of Free Expression and International Relations at Google; Emma Llansó, Policy Counsel at the Center for Democracy and Technology; Sally Wentworth, Senior Manager of Public Policy at the Internet Society; and Richard Fontaine, President at CNAS.