Regional Roundtable Briefing: Internet Fragmentation and Human Rights in Europe

The availability of a global open, interoperable, reliable, and secure Internet is necessary for the exercise and enjoyment of human rights in the digital age. However, these basic characteristics of the internet are currently under threat. There is a lack of understanding of the issue of internet fragmentation and the capacity to counter such threats, particularly among civil society. Countering threats to an open, interoperable internet effectively requires region-specific understandings. Despite this, current discussions on internet fragmentation have been largely siloed.

To address this gap, GPD is convening a set of stakeholders from the private sector, policymakers, and civil society for a series of roundtable discussions catered to a specific region. The aim of the roundtables is to (1) advance awareness and common understanding of internet fragmentation threats in key regions and; (2) to identify opportunities to counter them.

This report summarises findings from the first roundtable, held on 12 December 2023.