Declaration for the Future of the Internet: A much-needed cooperation

Today, the EU, the US, and 32 international partners signed a Declaration for the Future of the Internet. DIGITALEUROPE welcomes this necessary cooperation between like-minded tech allies and stands ready to help turn this vision into reality.

Director-General of DIGITALEUROPE Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl said:

“The internet has created unimaginable innovation, human connections and economic growth. However, as our everyday lives increasingly rely on it, it’s vital to ensure that no one is left behind while firmly upholding our fundamental values.

The war in Ukraine has made it clear that democracies must stand together, and this Declaration will strengthen the partnership between like-minded tech allies. However, this shared vision for a free, open, and global internet can only be achieved by working closely with industry.

In particular, we welcome today’s commitment to coordinated action to create a safer internet. Our members are continuously working to improve their processes to combat illegal and harmful content online, whilst also providing meaningful transparency about their activities. Last week’s DSA agreement was also an important step forward in this regard.”

This global alliance should build on work already underway in fora like the EU-US Trade and Technology Council where concrete targets are already set to build an open, interoperable and secure approach to some of the biggest technology questions between democratic partners.

This work must be done in tandem with urgent action to address the huge gaps in connectivity, digital skills, data flows, and cybersecurity. As the leading trade association representing digitally transforming industries in Europe, we stand ready to help drive this work, whether that’s with our EU partners in Brussels or as we hold meetings this week with key decision-makers in Washington DC. Together we can turn this vision for the future of the internet into reality.