Trust
Decentralized IdentitiesDigital SovereigntyInternet Shutdowns
Organizer 1: Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)Organizer 2: Private Sector, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)Organizer 3: Government, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)Organizer 4: Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 1: Patricia Vargas, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)Speaker 2: Jane Coffin, Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)Speaker 3: PABLO HINOJOSA, Technical Community, Asia-Pacific GroupSpeaker 4: Moctar Yedaly, Intergovernmental Organization, African Group
Round Table - U-shape - 90 Min
Description:
IXPs are infrastructures that facilitate and transfer Internet packets among Internet service providers (ISPs) and interconnect national and international networks. Therefore, IXPs are critical elements that support the proper functioning of the Internet protocol. This session covers a panel discussion from members of the academic and private sector, civil society organizations, academia, and governments. This panel provides an overview of the situation of the IXPs in three contexts: Their current status in the international realm: numbers and importance Internet kill switch or the shutdown of the entire infrastructure of the Internet in selected democratic and non-democratic regimes Significance of the role of the IXPs in contexts of natural disasters and pandemics like COVID-19, when the world observed an increase in the Internet traffic and nearly half of the human population remains under quarantine
The panelists will address the current international situation of the IXPs as we consider there is a lack of enough literature over these critical elements that support Internet traffic. Currently, most of the academic and non-academic work is based on the importance and role of the ISPs, while IXPs have been analyzed mostly from a technical perspective, but not from a policy one. This project attempts to bring back into the debate the role and multiple advantages of the IXPs as one of the main elements that facilitates the end-to-end principle aby keeping the integrity of the Internet data packets.
The policy questions to be addressed in this panel are the following ones: What is the role of the IXPs in facilitating Internet connectivity? What are the essential aspects local legislations include when they regulate IXPs? What are the policies of selected democratic and non-democratic regimes regarding IXPs when considering a form of extreme government control, like an Internet kill switch? What is the role of IXPs during natural disasters?
Expected outcomes of the discussion will provide to the audience: An overview of the current status quo of the IXPs infrastructure around the world An overview of some legislations from different types of regimes, democratic and non-democratic, over the IXPs A picture of the importance of the IXPs in two contexts: an Internet kill switch (or the shutdown of the entire Internet) and the COVID 19 pandemic in a context where the world observed a considerable amount in the Internet traffic
Relevance to Internet Governance: IXPs are mostly privately own and maintained, although governments also fulfill this role to some extent. Regarding their ownership, IXPs serve to everyone and are responsible for the quality of national and international traffic. This particular function calls for the conjunction of opinions among different stakeholders about their management and maintenance from all stakeholders because all of them get benefited from IXPs, and they serve worldwide to Internet users all over the world. This situation was put under context during the COVID 19 crisis when the Internet keeps a critical role in allowing users (independently of their status) to communicate all over the world. Additionally, in extreme cases, when exists substantial control over the Internet infrastructure, the existence of IXPs also plays a critical role in keeping the Internet operational.
Relevance to Theme: IXPs congregate multiple national and international networks, enabling Internet connectivity in nation-states with extreme forms of government control over the Internet and in times where the COVID 19 kept half of the world population under quarantine. This means that IXPs are relevant from two perspectives as stated in the thematic track: 1.Resilience: thanks to the IXPs the Internet traffic remains functional despite of the high demand in times of the COVID 19 2.Stability: In nation-states where government control, or consider controlling, the Internet infrastructure, IXPs are elements that contribute to keep the open architectural design of the Internet and that support the communication process despite any action executed to shut down the Internet.
This project is a 90-minute-panel group session. The onsite moderator will open the session with a 10-minute-introduction of the subject. After the introduction, each speaker will conduct a 10-minute-presentation from his/her own experience and area of work. At the end of the presentations, there will be 30 minutes for questions of the audience (onsite and online). We expect the speakers to present concrete case studies that address the most controversial aspects surrounding Internet exchange points.
Usage of IGF Official Tool. Additional Tools proposed: Due to the uncertainty of COVID 19, we organizers are aware that we may need the following tools: the official virtual platform of the IGF to conduct part of the panel debate online. Additionally, we expect to use the social networks that follow (in live sessions) the IGF. The most common ones are Facebook and YouTube and Twitter, to some extent. The online moderator in charge of this panel has previous experience by collecting the questions that come from different platforms at the same time and unifying them in a way that can be directed to the appropriate speaker. Moreover, the organizers intend that speakers answer all (or the majority) of the questions of the virtual audience. Previously to the IGF, organizers will publicize this panel (to be watched in these different platforms) in each one of the organizations where they work or are involved.
GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Reference Document
