Internet Society (ISOC) - Membership - Why Organizations Join ISOC

ISOC Organisational Membership Membership Levels and Benefits Application Form List of Members ISOC Advisory Council

Membership Levels and Benefits

Why Promote Public Policy and Have Your Voice Heard

Internet Society Membership Brochure, page 2 (PDF: 229K]
for more information visit: www.isoc.org/pubpolpillar

Global Perspective

The borderless nature of the Internet requires a global perspective in public policy development. The Internet is an exceptional medium - information put on the net instantly becomes accessible worldwide, and its impact is often felt worldwide. The Internet Society (ISOC), through its many members and chapters, is uniquely placed to play an important role in assisting both governments and private entities to understand the effects of communication technology on society.

Responsible Evolution

The Internet Society actively supports many initiatives that enable the responsible growth and deployment of the Internet. In addition, the Internet Society, in cooperation with its local chapters and many partners, provides international forums to address the most important economic, political, social and ethical issues influencing the evolution of the Internet.

Standards meets Public Policy

The Internet Society is also the organizational home of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the premier Internet standards body. The IETF develops and sets global technical standards and protocols, many of which have extensive implications for public policy. The Internet Society helps ensure that these are reviewed from a broad and international perspective and makes efforts to ensure that they can be understood by the general Internet community and technologists alike.

International Reach

With over 130 chapters established or being developed across the world, the Internet Society is uniquely placed to facilitate participation in the development of international policies and positions through its many professional contacts at local and regional levels.

Publications

The Internet Society develops and promotes positions on issues of particular interest to the global Internet community through member briefings and publications. Recent examples include: Internationalized domain names, privacy, security, IPv6, access to the net for people with disabilities, and the scalability of the current routing architecture and its implications. The Society is involved in other areas as well, including taxation, governance, closing the digital divide and protection of intellectual property.