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Resource Library

Everyone should have access to an open and trusted Internet.
Read our reports, papers, and other documents for insight and vision on how we can get there.

Action Plan 2024

Our roadmap for tackling the threats and challenges for today’s Internet as we look to grow and defend it for future generations.

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2023 Year in Review

The Year in Review shows the steps we took in 2023 to ensure the Internet is for everyone. Learn about the positive difference we made for the Internet.

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Internet Impact Briefs

Shorter reports that analyze how different policies or new technologies may affect what the Internet needs to exist and thrive.

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Global Internet Report (GIR)

From trust to consolidation, access to sustainability, a deep look at the forces shaping our digital future.

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Policy Briefs

Our perspective on critical Internet issues, including community networks, encryption, open Internet standards, Internet Exchange Points, and more.

Reimagining the Summit on Community Networks in Africa during the COVID-19 Pandemic

With almost half the world’s population offline and left out, there has been one clear lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic. Access to affordable Internet connectivity and digital ...

Security Through Encryption and Despite Encryption: An (un)Achievable Outcome?

On 16 June 2021 we organised a roundtable to explore in greater detail how to apply the European Council’s position on encryption, following its November 2020 Resolution; “Security through encryption ...

Internet Governance in the Middle East and North Africa

The Internet is a ‘network of networks’ made up of tens of thousands of networks that interconnect and route traffic efficiently between end points. While the interconnections and routing of ...

Moving Toward an Interconnected Africa: The 80/20 Initiative

In 2010, the Africa Internet technical community embraced an ambitious vision to have 80% of all Internet traffic locally accessible with only 20% being sourced internationally by 2020.

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Effective IXP strategies for the Asia-Pacific

In partnership with the Asia Pacific Internet Exchange Association (APIX), we set out to explore how different exchanges fit into their local environment to find best strategies and approaches they ...

The Economic Impact of Laws that Weaken Encryption

Editor's note: The full report and the extracted executive summary are available in pdf format in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and Japanese.

Mauritius IGF and Internet Society Response to Mauritius ICTA Consultation Paper

The Mauritius IGF and the Internet Society's input to the proposed amendments to the ICT ACT for regulating the use and addressing the abuse and misuse of Social Media in ...

Encryption unlocks the benefits of a thriving, trustworthy Internet

This analysis is intended to help policymakers worldwide understand how encryption operates throughout the Internet’s infrastructure, and not just in the applications so many of us use each day ...

Guide to Federal Broadband Funding Opportunities in the U.S.

This guide offers an overview of federal funding options that could provide financial support to Tribal, state, and local governments and utilities in their efforts to expand broadband infrastructure ...

MANRS Community Report 2020

In this report we highlight success stories, the concrete impacts we made, from our efforts in training and partnership to leadership initiatives. We also outline our goals and plan for ...

How to Make Sure Section 230 Reforms Don’t Harm the Foundation of the Internet

Author: Katie Watson Jordan

We called it in 2020, and barely two months into the new year the increasing trend in the United States to propose reforms to Section 230 ...

Fact Sheet: Understanding Encryption: The Connections to Survivor Safety

For many survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, and trafficking, having private and secure ways to communicate and store files electronically is a vital part of their safety. For ...

Archives

Top Tips for Consumers: Internet of Things Security and Privacy

1. Learn how to “shop smart” for connected devices. You don’t want to have to return a connected device because it is spying on you. Returning things is a pain ...

Internet Crossing Borders: Boosting the Internet in Landlocked Developing Countries

Please note that this is NOT the full report, but the Executive Summary with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan Case Studies. The full report will be ready soon, stay tuned for the ...

State of IPv6 Deployment 2018

IPv6 deployment continues to increase around the world. In the six years since World IPv6 Launch[*] levels of IPv6 deployment in networks and service providers all over the globe have ...

Policy Development Process at the Internet Society

The Internet Society advocates for policies that enhance security and privacy, enable the growth of Internet access, and promote the ecosystem of transparent, multistakeholder Internet governance ...

IoT Trust by Design

IoT Trust Framework identifies the core requirements manufacturers, service providers, distributors/purchasers and policymakers need to understand, assess and embrace for effective security and privacy as part of the Internet of ...

Internet of Things (IoT) Trust Framework v2.5

The IoT Trust Framework® includes a set of strategic principles necessary to help secure IoT devices and their data when shipped and throughout their entire life-cycle ...

Personal Data Protection Guidelines for Africa

A joint initiative of the Internet Society and the Commission of the African Union ...

Internet Society Background Paper on ITU Plenipotentiary 2018

This background paper provides a general overview of the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference and our perspectives on some of the main issues which may be discussed ...

IoT Security for Policymakers

“Cybersecurity will be the most pressing challenge of the next decade, and IoT will play a critical role in it.” Internet Society 2017 Global Internet Report
The open ...

Best Practices: Enterprise IoT Security Checklist

The Internet of Things (IoT) has found its way into all aspects of our lives. In particular, consumer IoT devices such as smart TVs, thermostats, smart speakers, fitness trackers and ...

Our Former CEO’s Opinion Piece in The Hill Times: Canada’s Unique Opportunity to Lead the Future of the Internet

Now is the time, with Canada’s leadership on the global stage, to reinforce the internet’s bottom-up development so it can continue to innovate and expand as humanity’s promise for opportunity ...

Do Blockchains Have Anything to Offer Identity?

This paper is intended for information technology staff and management, and any others working on or with Identity and access management (IAM) technologies, and who are curious about blockchain and ...

Organization Reports

On annual basis, we publish annual reports (an Action Plan and Impact Report), as well as financial reports, annual financial statements, and Form 990s.

See the Reports