Dive Brief:
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A report released last week found that the “open Internet” is becoming less so as more laws are passed globally that impede open speech and governments and other interested parties impose a growing number of Internet controls, according to the Wall Street Journal.
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The restrictions are hampering the many benefits of the open internet, according to the report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
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The report was released during OECD’s annual gathering of government officials and policymakers.
Dive Insight:
Laws that restrict open speech or limit the flow of data are bringing Internet governance to “a critical juncture,” and undermining the benefits of the open Internet – such as economic growth, political equality and social justice, according to the report.
The report pointed to several types of challenges – such as combating cybercrime and terrorism, state censorship, determining how carriers should be compensated for the exchange of data among online networks -- as the types of strains that are causing the Internet to slowly become less open.
These strains are also coming at a time when “companies increasingly rely on the Internet to interact with their foreign operations, suppliers and customers,” researchers said.
As a result, these constraints may impede global economic growth. OCED said cross-border data flows resulted in $2.8 trillion of global GDP in 2014.
