Relevance to Internet Governance: The centralisation of the Internet on the infrastructure, applications and services of a few large companies leads them to dominate the market and to take up a fundamental role in the definition and enforcement of online policies. Policymakers, civil society and SMEs have raised concerns that the network effect of such big user bases, and the "walled garden" design of many of these services, make it increasingly difficult for new, competing applications and services to emerge, arguably stifling competition and innovation. As a consequence, the theme of platform regulation has become the focus of political and community action in several countries, with law proposals being tabled in many of them. Interoperability, the subject of our workshop, is often thought to be a useful concept to address this problem. For example, it was mentioned by the European Commission among the possible provisions of the upcoming Digital Services Act, and the ACCESS Act has been proposed in the US Senate. By adopting as policy the requirement for Internet platforms to interconnect with others and allow the users of third party apps to exchange messages and content with their own users, the barrier of the network effect could be overcome, and new entrants could enjoy a chance to succeed. This policy, if adopted, could have a major impact on the shape of Internet service markets, especially for applications like instant messaging and social media. This, in turn, could boost the chances of reaching many of the sustainable development goals, by facilitating the inclusion of new classes of users that for various reasons cannot use the original app provided by the platform, and the birth and flourishing of local but globally-compatible apps from every part of the world. The workshop thus aims at discussing whether the concept of interoperability could actually keep these promises and be as effective as its proponents expect. By bringing together and inviting multiple stakeholder groups from as many global regions as possible, we hope to promote a comprehensive discussion that could reflect the global views and inform policies in many different places.
Relevance to Theme: Interoperability is at the heart of Internet governance, and has implications across the thematic tracks. However, we aim to broaden the conversation around interoperability beyond data access/interoperability/portability between platforms, which is often the lens through which it is discussed. Lower barriers of entry, and real choice for all stakeholders once online, is the potential that increased interoperability holds. It increases the ability of all stakeholders to engage, not just those chosen by a limited group of gatekeepers. Interoperability, when done well, allows for a more diverse set of platforms and caters to a broader set of users wants and needs, which is an important and necessary step to ensuring everyone’s voice is heard and treated equally in decision-making processes. It allows for more actors from more than just a few regions of the world reap the social benefits of going online and participating in the digital economy.
