Protecting the Internet as a Public Commons
The constantly evolving nature of the Internet raises questions about its use and security. This project investigated how the complex social issues of identity, access, and trust will affect the future of the Internet.
This representation, from The Opte Project, traces a portion of the routes on the Internet. The Opte Project creates maps to provide an accurate visual model of the connections on the Internet.© 2003 Barrett Lyon and The Opte Project.
For computer scientists and information technologists, technical protocols are fundamental to the secure operation of the Internet; yet the social issues of identity, access, and trust also underlie the security of the Internet.
The Ƶ’s project on Protecting the Internet as a Public Commons was designed to identify social, legal, economic, and technical factors that influence how the Internet is used and how it will evolve in the years ahead.
The Daedalus issue with the same name of the project "Protecting the Internet as a Public Commons" and Congressional hearings in 2011 shared the research and recommendations of the project and shaped legislation and perceptions.
People
Yochai Benkler
Marjory Blumenthal
Henry E. Brady
L. Jean Camp
Vinton Gray Cerf
Coye Cheshire
R. Kelly Garrett
Seymour E. Goodman
Richard Hale
John B. Horrigan
Deirdre K. Mulligan
Helen Nissenbaum
Joseph Samuel Nye
Paul Resnick
Kay Lehman Schlozman
Fred B. Schneider
Abraham D. Sofaer
Lee Sproull
John David Steinbruner
Sidney Verba
Publications
News & Updates
Project Outcomes
In the Fall 2011 issue of æ岹ܲ, project members shared their perspectives and recommendations on a range of topics: social and political participation online, the consequences of being disconnected in a digital society, and the roles for government, industry, and private citizens in ensuring the security and accessibility of the future Internet. The project’s work has been featured in media outlets including Politico, National Journal, and Computer World.
In coordination with U.S. Representative Anna Eshoo (D-CA), cochair of the bipartisan Congressional Internet Caucus, the Ƶ organized a briefing at the U.S. House of Representatives on November 2, 2011, to discuss new models for Internet privacy and security. Project leaders also discussed their recommendations with senior privacy and security officials from the National Security Staff, the Department of Justice, the Department of State, the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
The Obama administration subsequently drew on project recommendations in designing the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, released in February 2012.