The Global Network Initiative (GNI) welcomes the opportunity to submit input to the intergovernmental process on the Global Digital Compact. GNI has held multiple discussions with our full membership to inform the development of this submission, and we are pleased to be able to share core principles and commitments we hope to see reflected in the Global Digital Compact.
GNI members include 90 leading digital rights and press freedom groups, information and communications and technology companies, investors, and academics. This experience guiding company action, undertaking shared learning, and engaging on laws and regulations across four policy areas — network disruptions, privacy and surveillance, jurisdictional assertions and limits, and content regulation — has offered valuable insights that can help guide all stakeholders in developing shared frameworks to help preserve a free, open, and secure Internet.
Our submission focuses on GNI’s core commitments to freedom of expression and privacy, while emphasizing areas where the framework can provide guidance on policies and practices for addressing the full range of human rights, as well as issues where our policy and learning experiences offer insights for broader digital governance and policymaking with a human rights lens. Accordingly, we have organized the submission around core principles to preserve digital rights, and then spelled out specific commitments for companies, governments, and all stakeholders.