Internet Governance - The Values of the Public Internet Infrastructure

The Internet has evolved from a research network into a critical public infrastructure that underpins modern society. This project explores how the technical architecture and governance structures of the Internet embody and promote fundamental societal values such as openness, accessibility, and democratic participation.

Research Focus

This interdisciplinary research examines the relationship between technical design choices and societal values in Internet infrastructure, investigating:

• How architectural principles of the Internet (end-to-end principle, packet switching, distributed control) reflect democratic values
• The role of multi-stakeholder governance models in preserving the Internet as a public good
• Challenges to the open Internet from centralization, surveillance, and commercialization
• Policy frameworks that can protect the Internet’s foundational values while enabling innovation

Key Questions

• What values are embedded in the technical architecture of the Internet?
• How do governance mechanisms influence the evolution of Internet infrastructure?
• What threats do emerging technologies and business models pose to the Internet’s public character?
• How can technical communities and policymakers work together to preserve the Internet as a global public resource?

This work contributes to the growing field of values-in-design research, providing insights for network engineers, policymakers, and civil society organizations working to ensure the Internet continues to serve the public interest.