American Edge Project Releases Report Underscoring Importance of Free & Open Internet

The American Edge Project (AEP), a coalition of two dozen domestic organizations, which includes the Trade Alliance to Promote Prosperity, has released a new policy report underscoring the importance of maintaining a free and open internet amid the mounting threat posed by digital autocracies such as China and Russia.

For more than three decades, the United States has been on the forefront of the internet revolution. The U.S. has led the world in establishing a free and open internet that is deeply rooted in American values and that has democratized information, spurred opportunity, and fostered prosperity on a global scale. 

However, the free and open internet and the democratic values it supports are increasingly under threat from digital autocracies, namely China and Russia, who seek to undermine our values and degrade our economic and geopolitical might.  

The new report outlines a comprehensive policy agenda, centered around three pillars, that will advance American values, protect America’s national security, and foster future economic prosperity at home and across the globe:

• Slow the spread of digital authoritarianism by protecting American democracy from foreign influence, implementing security protocols to protect global information flows, and accelerating America’s ability to innovate and develop cutting-edge technologies.

• Promote free speech within and across borders by encouraging industry standards that protect freedom of expression online, implementing intermediary liability laws that protect free speech, and stopping the spread of internet shutdowns.

• Build a stronger internet to connect people to each other and their governments by leveraging technology to increase civic engagement, ensuring universal internet access, enacting federal privacy laws, and developing digital literacy programs.

Read the full report here.