Internet Society UK -

ISOC UK England Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2024

ocl / November 8, 2024

The ISOC UK England Chapter Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2024 took take place as a hybrid meeting, both online and in person.

Also in person at:

The Wheatsheaf
25 Rathbone Pl, W Central St, London W1T 1JB, United Kingdom

Google Map link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jq6vRgd8cvxHcSQM7

The Wheatsheaf is a historic Pub a couple of minutes away from Tottenham Court Road Station. (*)

In person participation allowed participants to meet members of the Leadership Team and to network with other members of the Chapter.… Read more ...

News, Policy

Follow-up on Response to Consultation on: Powers in relation to UK-related domain name registries

ocl / November 29, 2024

In August 2023, the UK Chapter submitted a response to a UK Government consultation on Powers in relation to UK-related domain name registries.

The Internet Society UK Chapter had responded to the Consultation on the Digital Economy Act 2010, criticizing the consultation deadline during the summer holidays for hindering inclusive stakeholder engagement. They urged further consultations to ensure broad stakeholder involvement in managing UK Internet resources. They highlighted several concerns:

The Act was outdated, given the significant changes in the Internet since 2010, making the drafting of powers potentially inappropriate.

News, Policy

Open Letter to EU Commissioner-designate: Preserving the Open Internet

ocl / November 1, 2024

Date: 29 October 2024

Addressed to Commissioner-designate Henna Virkkunen

Expresses concerns about undermining net neutrality principles in Europe

Urges the European Commission to avoid interfering in the Internet’s interconnection ecosystem

Highlights risks of proposals mandating payments from Content and Application Providers (CAPs) to telecom operators:

Potential market fragmentation
Increased costs for consumers and businesses
Degraded service quality

Emphasises the importance of maintaining a balanced market with equal bargaining power

Calls for evidence-based recommendations to support an open Internet

Warns that regulatory interventions could harm the global Internet and its users

Signed by various organizations and individuals advocating for net neutrality – including Internet Society UK England

https://www.internetsociety.org/open-letters/preserving-the-open-internet… Read more ...

News

Global Tech Outage Demonstrates Need for Resiliency in Software Systems

cdel / July 20, 2024

By Olaf Kolkman

Principal – Internet Technology, Policy, and Advocacy

Dan York

Director, Internet Technology

Today, 19 July, the world has been hit by a tech outage causing global economic and social disruption of the worst kind. Hospitals had to cancel operations, payment systems failed, government services stopped functioning, and newsrooms went dark.

The root cause seems to be an automatic update of a cybersecurity product from CrowdStrike that crashed Microsoft Windows systems, leaving them in an inoperable state. The company has acknowledged this issue and is in the process of deploying a fix. … Read more ...

News

Joint submission of response to OFCOM consultation on Child Safety

ocl / July 18, 2024

The UK Chapter of the Internet Society produced a Joint Submission with the Internet Society responding to the OFCOM Consultation: Protecting children from harms online

The response, filed on 17 July 2024, reiterates the points made in past submissions to UK consultations conducted by OFCOM but also in relation to the various legislation that went through Parliament in the first part of the year. In particular, the response reiterate that End-to-end encryption (“E2EE”) is needed to safeguard privacy of data including the safety of children.… Read more ...

News, Policy

Joint cross-sectoral statement: Concerns Regarding the Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Bill

ocl / March 22, 2024

Release Date: 22 March 2024

The UK Chapter of the Internet Society is a co-author and co-signatory of today’s Joint cross-sectoral Statement that saw Civil Society organisations work with academics and TechUK, to express concerns about a Bill that is reaching Report Stage in Parliament on Monday 25 March 2024.

The Statement was picked up on Friday 22 March 2024 by the BBC News article “‘Mass surveillance’ fears over law change plans”.

The Statement can be found here:

IPA-Bill-joint-cross-sectoral-statement Download

In parallel, the UK Chapter has been very active in corresponding with the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR).… Read more ...

ISOC Live events

Global Internet Governance Academic Network (Giganet) Annual Symposium 2024
On December 15, 2024 the Global Internet Governance Academic Network (Giganet) Annual Symposium was held at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia. Giganet aims to foster multidisciplinary research on internet governance. The symposium serves as a platform … The post Global Internet Governance Academic Network (Giganet) Annual Symposium 2024 appeared first on ISOC LIVE NOTICEBOARD.
WEBCAST JAN 7 – A11yNYC – Audio Description in Advertising – Eric Wickstrom & Liz Gutman
On Tuesday January 7. 2025 at 7:30pm-8:30pm EST (00:30-01:30 UTC) the Accessibility NYC Meetup (A11yNYC) hosts a meetup ‘Audio Description in Advertising‘. Eric Wickstrom and Liz Gutman of the award-winning Audio Description department at the International Digital Centre… The post WEBCAST JAN 7 – A11yNYC – Audio Description in Advertising – Eric Wickstrom & Liz Gutman appeared first on ISOC LIVE NOTICEBOARD.
WEBCAST DEC 13 – International Law of Critical Internet Infrastructure [CII]: A Comparative Analysis of Europe and China
** This webcast was cancelled. The event was not livestreamed or recorded. ** On Friday December 13, 2024 at 10:00-12:00 CET (09:00-11:00 AM UTC) the Lodz Cyber Hub at the University of Lodz Law School, an ICANN EURALO ALS, … The post WEBCAST DEC 13 – International Law of Critical Internet Infrastructure [CII]: A Comparative Analysis of Europe and China appeared first on ISOC LIVE NOTICEBOARD.
WEBCAST 9-10 DEC – Afghanistan School on Internet Governance (AFSIG) | Afghanistan Youth IGF (AFyIGF) | Afghanistan Internet Governance Forum (IGFA)
On Monday – Tuesday 9 – 10 December, 2024, the combined Afghanistan School on Internet Governance (AFSIG) , Afghanistan Youth IGF (AFyIGF), and Afghanistan Internet Governance Forum (IGFA) will be convened online, with organization support from Internet Afghanistan Inc.… The post WEBCAST 9-10 DEC – Afghanistan School on Internet Governance (AFSIG) | Afghanistan Youth IGF (AFyIGF) | Afghanistan Internet Governance Forum (IGFA) appeared first on ISOC LIVE NOTICEBOARD.

ISOC News

Building Our Multistakeholder Digital Future, IGF 2024
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Global Encryption Day Panel Highlights Encryption’s Role in Children’s Online Safety
Encryption is a tool that ensures privacy for all online users, including children. In our panel, we heard from online safety around the globe. The post Global Encryption Day Panel Highlights Encryption’s Role in Children’s Online Safety appeared first on Internet Society.
Unpacking Internet Governance and Our Work in the United Nations
Dive into Internet governance, our work in the United Nations, and multistakeholderism in this Q&A with Mona Gaballa and Israel Rosas. The post Unpacking Internet Governance and Our Work in the United Nations appeared first on Internet Society.
No Power = No 1s and 0s. Internet Resilience Requires Electrical Resilience
In the last three months, Ecuador, Kenya, Senegal, and Venezuela have all experienced nationwide power outages related to infrastructure, all of which have disrupted most or all Internet connectivity within the country. The reality is that without electrical power, the Internet we all rely on will not work. The post No Power = No 1s and 0s. Internet Resilience Requires Electrical Resilience appeared first on Internet Society.
A World Without the Internet is a Disaster (Movie)
As the Internet becomes increasingly prominent in our lives, it has also begun to play a larger role in the movies we watch. More and more, in disaster movies, there is a key indicator that something is really wrong and bad things are about to happen: The Internet is down. The post A World Without the Internet is a Disaster (Movie) appeared first on Internet Society.
Take a Step Towards Privacy: Understanding Digital Footprints
Digital footprints are trails of data that people leave behind as they use the Internet. This data contributes to a digital portrait of who we are—one that is more public than many people realize. The post Take a Step Towards Privacy: Understanding Digital Footprints appeared first on Internet Society.
Internet Exchange Points in Argentina: Network Infrastructure Improves the Balance of Trade
Internet Exchange Points (IXPS) have become vital assets in Argentina, where they ensure that data travels seamlessly, efficiently, and at lower costs. The post Internet Exchange Points in Argentina: Network Infrastructure Improves the Balance of Trade appeared first on Internet Society.
Looking Beyond the Global Digital Compact
At the United Nations Summit of the Future in September 2024, world leaders adopted the Global Digital Compact. The finalized text presents both opportunities and concerns, and we will continue to advocate for a multistakeholder approach to Internet governance. The post Looking Beyond the Global Digital Compact appeared first on Internet Society.
Texas’ Mandatory Age Verification Law Will Weaken Privacy and Security on the Internet
Texas' mandatory age verification law will weaken Internet privacy and security and will not provide an effective solution to children being exposed to adult content online. The post Texas’ Mandatory Age Verification Law Will Weaken Privacy and Security on the Internet appeared first on Internet Society.
US Government Networks Get a Security Boost: White House Roadmap Tackles Routing Vulnerabilities
The White House's Roadmap to Enhancing Routing Security is an important step toward strengthening routing security in the United States. The post US Government Networks Get a Security Boost: White House Roadmap Tackles Routing Vulnerabilities appeared first on Internet Society.