Internet Policy

Policies can either improve the Internet or harm it for us all.

Policies can either improve the Internet or harm it for us all.

Under pressure from social challenges and business interests, governments’ efforts to regulate various aspects of the Internet are intensifying worldwide. But even well-meaning policies can undermine the Internet’s global nature and core infrastructure—by design or by accident.

The Internet works best for everyone when the technical community and civil society are at the decision-making table. We help governments make informed decisions by educating policymakers on how the Internet actually works.

Internet Policy

Policies can either improve the Internet or harm it for us all.

people sitting on a hillside, focused on a cell phone

Under pressure from social challenges and business interests, governments’ efforts to regulate various aspects of the Internet are intensifying worldwide. But even well-meaning policies can undermine the Internet’s global nature and core infrastructure—by design or by accident.

The Internet works best for everyone when the technical community and civil society are at the decision-making table. We help governments make informed decisions by educating policymakers on how the Internet actually works.

Key Internet Policy Links

Key Internet Policy Links

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How Policymakers Run the Internet

Internet policy is shaped by a global ecosystem of legislators, regulators, international organizations, civil society groups, and technical and policy experts.

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Understanding Internet Intermediaries

Internet intermediaries are crucial to the Internet’s existence. Read our policy framework for Internet intermediaries and content.

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Promoting Internet Governance

The Internet works best when it is governed by many. We advocate for a multistakeholder approach to Internet governance, where all interested actors can participate.

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Influencing Policy in the Courts

Our Amicus Program gives the Internet a voice in courts worldwide, where legal decisions, interpretations, and regulations affect the functioning of the Internet.

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How to Advocate for the Internet

It’s up to all of us to protect and defend what the Internet needs to exist and thrive. Learn more about what you can do to make a difference.

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Keeping the Internet Open

Any policy or decision that undermines the open, global, interoperable nature of the Internet contributes to fragmentation.

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Keeping the Internet Secure

Encryption empowers people and keeps them safe online. It is a vital tool for protecting ourselves in a digital society.

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Connecting People to the Internet

We help craft and promote policies for different regulatory and legislative bodies that enable people to connect to the Internet.

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Analyze a Law Proposal

Explore our toolkit to learn more about building strong arguments to defend the Internet and assessing how policies may impact it.

Encryption Protects Everyone

Encryption Protects Everyone

We organized a workshop in Brussels for civil society organizations to explore legislative threats to encryption and to develop joint policy strategies to help reach and inform policymakers about the importance of encryption for everyday users.

Hear from the participants about their experience and why they are passionate about advocating for strong encryption.

Latest Updates

Latest Updates

Global Encryption Day Summit 2026: Five Key Conversations on the Future of Digital Trust

From mapping tools and VPNs to encrypted messaging and the challenges posed by quantum computing, the Global Encryption Day Summit …

What Global Data Tells Us About the Economics of IXPs

We know anecdotally that peering is generally cheaper than transit, but where is it cheaper, by how much, and how …

We Shouldn’t Have to Give Up Our Safety Online to Be Safe

Internet Society President and CEO Sally Wentworth spoke to lawmakers about the harmful consequences Bill C-22 could have on Internet …

Dissecting the Cost of Peering

The Internet’s 80,000+ networks rely on transit and peering. This document explores the rise of IXPs, traffic localization, and the …

Policy Brief: Internet Exchange Points and Local Interconnection Ecosystems

Discover how Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) strengthen connectivity, reduce costs, improve resilience, and support local digital development. Learn about peering …

The EU KIDS Act Should Make Services Safer, Not Create an Internet Badge

Age assurance proposals raise questions on how these systems would work in practice, and if they would protect minors without …

2026 Africa Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF)

The event will bring together governments, civil society, private sector, technical communities, and academia from Africa and beyond for dialogue, …

Fair Share Proposals in Africa

Fair Share proposals requiring content providers to pay telecom operators risk raising costs, weakening local interconnection, and reinforcing market concentration …

Why Internet Infrastructure Decisions Rarely Stay Localized

Even narrow policy and commercial choices can have ripple effects that shape what people can access, how information moves, and …

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© Nyani Quarmyne, © Flawless Events, © Jordi Ruiz Cirera, © Flawless Events, creative commons, © Chris Gregory, © Nyani Quarmyne, © Wharton Image, © Internet Society, © Frederic Courbet/Panos Pictures