Internet Governance and Human Rights

Whoever controls the future of the internet, controls the future of the world. 

We will study the technical roots of the internet, and the governance models engaging stakeholders – people and entities like telecom companies and their regulators, technologists and idealists, security forces and hackers – in constant tension. Each group faces challenges. Policymakers attempt to understand new technologies and their impacts, and hurry to update and replace laws, regulations, and norms for the digital age. Companies have responsibilities to law and policy but vary widely in their respect for users and responsiveness to governments. The UN Sustainable Development Goals identify new technologies as essential to development, but fail to extend connectivity to vulnerable or marginalized communities. And the cat-and-mouse game between cyber offense and defense leaves less-resourced groups -- and the right to privacy -- lagging.

We will confront questions like: Will national sovereignty reassert itself, breaking the internet, or will the vision of a borderless cyberspace prevail? Will the European approach set global standards, or simply aspire? How does the feminist vision of the internet apply to AI-generated spaces? 

As a human rights lawyer engaged in digital issues for over 15 years, I will walk the class through the international human rights framework and how to apply it to key topics, from spyware and data protection, to net neutrality and internet shutdowns, platform governance, cybersecurity and generative AI. 

To find the answers, we nimbly role-play, enjoy small group activities, welcome guest experts, and hone tech policy skills under time pressure. Expect to participate frequently, and to learn to navigate the most pressing issues facing companies, governments, and technologists today.