It is a great pleasure to announce you the creation of the Dynamic Coalition on Network Neutrality, under the auspices of the United Nations Internet Governance Forum.
The purpose of this Dynamic Coalition is to provide a discussion arena aimed at scrutinising the various nuances of the network-neutrality debate so as to ultimately contribute to the elaboration of best practices, policies and regulations. To this end, an annual report will be produced to provide an overview on network neutrality tendencies, policies and draft legislations.
Should you be interested in joining the DC or providing some material to be published on the DC website, please send an email to contact@networkneutrality.info
Should you be interested in subscribing to the mailing-list of the DC, please follow the instructions here: http://mailman.edri.org/mailman/listinfo/nncoalition
Lastly, please find attached (and below) the Call for Papers pertaining the first Annual Report of the DC that will be dedicated to relation between Network Neutrality and Human Rights.
Feel free to share the call through your networks and, obviously, to submit a position paper.
Many thanks and kind regards,
Luca
Doctorant en Droit Public
Background“Network neutrality” is an appealing and multifaceted expression which encompassesseveral areas and may give rise to misinterpretations. At its core, the notion of networkneutrality determines the extent to which Internet traffic management practices may beregarded as legitimate, insofar as they do not qualify as discriminatory practices and theyare consistent with the full enjoyment of human rights. Yet, throughout the last decade,this polysemous formula has acquired different meanings, invading the province oftelecommunications, content and security regulation.The network neutrality debate is gaining great political momentum. Indeed, manylegislators are currently scrutinizing the opportunity of elaborating and adoptinglegislation on network neutrality. While everyone agrees that end-users’ fundamentalrights have to be safeguarded, the question remains as to how this end could be achieved,and what are the consequences (if any) of network-management practices on such rights.CallThe Dynamic Coalition on Network Neutrality, created under the auspices of the UnitedNations Internet Governance Forum, invites researchers and practitioners to submit aposition paper on the issue of net neutrality and human rights. Position papers shouldprovide relevant background information together with one or more propositions on howto preserve fundamental human rights (such as the right to privacy or freedom ofexpression) on the Internet of tomorrow.Suggested topics include, inter alia:Implementation of the network neutrality principle:• How to approach network neutrality? Regulation or co-regulation?• Is fair competition a sufficient safeguard for fundamental rights?• Can current examples of network-neutrality legislation be deemed as efficient?• Is there a difference between “open Internet” and “neutral Internet”?Impact of network neutrality on human rights:• Analysis of network neutrality case-law: Current violations of the network neutralityprinciple and their impact on human rights• How to reconcile anti-network neutrality arguments with the protection of humanrights?• From gateways to gatekeepers: assessing the role of ISPs with regard to access toinformation.• Network neutrality and global access to the Internet: a “digital divide” issue• Digital democracy: the impact of network neutrality regulation on civic participation• Benefits and risks of Deep Packet Inspection as an Internet traffic managementtechniques NeutralityInternational trends and policy recommendations for the Internet of tomorrowSubmission Guidelines:Submissions are due on September 15th, 2013. They should include the followingelements:- Title- Short abstract (250 words)- Position paper (between 3000 and 6000 words)- Author’s name, affiliation and short bibliographical noteSubmissions should be sent to contact@networkneutrality.infoAuthors will be notified within approximately two weeks from the deadline as to the statusof their contributions.