With every passing year, the Internet evolves and grows, reaching farther corners of the world and helping communities connect with each other. But that growth is not to be taken for granted. This global technical infrastructure—which has transformed so many layers of society—cannot be sustained without a global community fighting to strengthen it, protect it, and make it accessible to all.
Thirty years ago, the Internet Society formed to ensure that the Internet would be for everyone. We continue that fight today. The stakes have changed, especially in recent years as the Internet has become a cornerstone of our lives. Yet the Internet Society continues to live up to this vision, thanks to a global community advancing our mission through on-the-ground work.
Our 2022 Action Plan is both a continuation of this work and a look toward the future. Wherever we are needed, we will be there—growing, strengthening, and protecting the Internet everywhere.
We must pay heed to the social and economic differences growing worse as some communities enjoy fast and secure access and others are deprived. More than half the world has no access to the Internet at all, and many other communities struggle with slow, congested Internet and shutdowns. As governments and corporations adopt policies that regulate the Internet in favor of one group over others, we find the very foundation upon which the Internet was built being attacked.
The 2022 Action Plan outlines specific actions the Internet Society will take in concrete, measurable ways—like deploying and sustaining new community networks, measuring the health and availability of the Internet, and shaping legal precedents.
Our work, now more than ever, carries with it a sense of urgency. The steps we take now will mold the Internet and how we use it for decades to come. We must help those who need access to get it, and we must help guide the leaders of our world to enact appropriate laws and regulations when it comes to strengthening and protecting this global resource for all.
Together with our global community, we build, promote, and defend the Internet. Our Action Plan aligns with our goals for the Internet to be open, globally connected, secure, and trustworthy. We seek collaboration with all who share these goals.