The United Nations' (UN) newly-proposed "Global Digital Compact" seeks to build international consensus on "shared principles for an open, free and secure digital future for all". To be jointly deliberated by the United Nations, state government, civil society, and the private sector, issues discussed under the nascent treaty include reaffirming the commitment to bring the unconnected online, avoiding fragmentation of the Internet, allowing people to choose how their data is used, and introducing accountability measures to promote a "trustworthy Internet". The United Nations is inviting public input on the various issues the Compact should cover. Stakeholders can submit their position papers by clicking here. The deadline for submissions closes on 31st March, 2023. Other submissions made can be viewed here. What happens once these are submitted?: The responses will inform the Global Digital Compact, which will be deliberated at the UN's Summit of the Future in September 2023. Why it matters: Issues of fragmentation, data segmentation, Internet access, and human rights violations online threaten to splinter the "open Internet" that many netizens of the world enjoy, while endangering their rights and safety in the process. In this light, the United Nations' commitment to building a global consensus on solutions to address these issues is certainly welcome. After all, principle-based international frameworks provide a benchmark against which countries can model their governance to enhance human rights and the ease of doing business. That being said, developing global regimes on the governance of data and the Internet has always been an uphill battle.…
