Screw Surf: keep the internet free and open!

Since 1973, when my colleagues and I began working on the technologies that underlie the Internet, we advocated open standards for combining computers. Not only from philosophical considerations, but also from practical ones.

We designed the protocols so that the Internet remains non-proprietary and open to interaction. These protocols avoided any bindings and locks, and allowed anyone to contribute to the development of the network. Thanks to this openness, the Internet now has such enormous value. Since it is borderless and belongs to everyone, it gives unprecedented freedom to billions of people: the freedom to create and invent, organize and influence, speak and be heard.

But after a few hours, a meeting begins in Dubaibehind closed doors, on which governments will discuss Internet regulation. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) holds a conference from December 3 to 14 to revise the 1988 agreement , in which only governments have the right to vote. Some of the proposals will legitimize censorship or even disable Internet access in any country.

You can read more about my personal opinion on this at CNN.com , but I'm not alone. Today, more than 1000 organizations from more than 160 countries have also cast their votes , and hundreds of thousands of Internet users have joined them, who advocate a free and open network. On an interactive map at freeandopenweb.comyou can see people around the world signing petitions, using the hashtag #freeandopen, recording and uploading videos to show how important this is to them.



If you agree with me and also want to support a free and open Internet, I invite you to join and sign the petition. Let your voice be heard!

Vint Cerf, vice president and chief Internet evangelist at Google.

From a translator: the conference has already begun. It is still unknown how it will end, but there is hope that this time the freedom of the Internet can be defended .