"Libero internet (con giudizio) in libero mondo", Op-ed by U.S. Ambassador David H. Thorne

February 16, 2011

The following article appeared on the daily "Il Sole 24 Ore" of February 16, 2011

David H. Thorne
U.S. Ambassador to Italy

Just over a year ago, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for a global commitment to Internet Freedom.  Based on the universal human rights framework, Internet Freedom – or as Secretary Clinton deemed it, “the freedom to connect” -- applies the freedoms of assembly, expression and association to cyberspace.  Today this commitment is more important than ever.  Preserving these rights in the digital era protects the promise and the possibility of the Internet as a platform for ideas, innovation, connection, and economic growth.

The backdrop of Egypt and the largest internet shutdown of our time prompted numerous calls to honor the freedom to connect, in particular to seek and share information over the internet, from President Obama and Secretary Clinton, and from other leaders around the world.

The Internet has become the global town square of the 21st century.  The kind of peaceful civic activism we have seen in Tahrir Square and across the Maghreb over the course of the past weeks, spurred by the optimism and hopes of the next generation, occurs increasingly on the Internet in parallel and in coordination with rallies in the streets.   Through this discourse, online and in person, new dimensions of debates that we have been having for centuries re-emerge:  How best to govern, administer justice, pursue prosperity, and create the conditions for long-term progress, within and across borders.  The choices governments make today will determine the face of the Internet in the future and they will not be easily made. 

The choices we face are familiar, but the space in which we confront them is not.  How do we protect liberty and security?  Transparency and privacy?  Freedom of expression while fostering tolerance and harmony?

First, too often liberty and security are seen as mutually exclusive, but we must have both to have either, both online and offline.  Security must enable our freedoms, not endanger them.  In the balance between liberty and security, the fulcrum is the rule of law.  Our allegiance to it does not vanish in cyberspace.  Neither does our commitment to civil liberties.  “Security” is a pretext often invoked as a justification for harsh crackdowns on Internet freedom.  Governments that arrest bloggers, pry into the peaceful activities of their citizens, and limit or close off access to information under the guise of maintaining security are fooling no one.  Silencing ideas does not make them go away. 

Second, we must protect both transparency and confidentiality.  Transparency is critical.  Citizens must have information about their governments and, importantly in this economic environment, information opens the doors to commerce.  But confidentiality and privacy are also vital.  Confidentiality protects the ability of organizations and governments to carry out their missions and best serve the public interest, and the right to privacy shields the individual from invasive attention. Governments have a higher standard to meet when invoking confidentiality, because they serve the public.  But all governments require some degree of confidentiality when dealing with matters such as public safety and national security.  For example, it would not be sensible to publish on the Internet details of sensitive negotiations between countries on the fight against terrorists or organized crime.

Third, we must protect free expression while at the same time fostering tolerance.  Like a town square, the Internet is home to every kind of speech:  False, offensive, constructive and innovative.  There is no question, in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all people have the right to freedom of expression.  The challenge is to fulfill a commitment to freedom of expression online while harnessing the capacity of the Internet to advance tolerance and peace, innovation and creativity.  We believe the best way to do this is to promote more speech, not to limit it.  By exposing and challenging offensive speech, rather than suppressing it, we allow for public scrutiny and response.  In the marketplace of ideas, those ideas with merit will become stronger.  Others will in time fade away.

Internet freedom gives us the rare opportunity to combine human rights with our aspirations for mutual economic prosperity.  The principles of Internet freedom are rooted in the openness of the platform, allowing the Internet to remain an engine of ideas, innovation, and economic growth.  Open markets for new products and services catalyze entrepreneurship, innovation, and investment.  We have seen investment and innovation in the global Internet marketplace flow to nations that stand by the principle of an open Internet.

As the universal town square of the Internet continues to flourish, we are confident that we can protect and advance the principles of liberty and security; transparency and privacy; and free speech and tolerance.  Together they comprise the foundation of a free and open internet, which is a fundamental tool for a better future, whether in Egypt, Italy, or the United States.