Global
Internet Report
From trust to consolidation, access to sustainability, a deep look at the forces shaping our digital future.
Initially launched in 2014, our Global Internet Reports are developed to bring significant features of the Internet’s evolution to the attention of the global Internet community. The report normally contains some recommendations about the topic, proposing action to be taken or avoided as the topic and conditions warrant.
Global Internet Report 2019: Consolidation in the Internet Economy
In the 2019 report, the Internet Society asks whether the Internet economy is consolidating and, if it is, what the implications might be. From the dominance of Facebook in social messaging, Google in search and Amazon in online shopping, the largest Internet platforms are capturing fundamental human interactions. This dominance, and the finances and reach that accompany it, enable the platforms to extend their influence and reach into new market spaces, from autonomous vehicles, to AI, to cloud services and beyond. This leverage is built on unprecedented network effects, vast troves of user data, business agility, and regulatory freedom that few other companies enjoy.
In this report, we recognise the incredible convenience these platforms provide the Internet user. At the same time, we also recognise the concerns that are being voiced about this dominance, and about the responsibility these companies have to society and economy. The 2019 report explores these issues by examining five key trends and themes that emerged from extensive engagement with the Internet Society community, and surveys and interviews with experts, thought leaders and influencers.
The Internet economy, as understood in this report, is broadly defined as the economic activities that either support the Internet or are fundamentally dependent on the Internet’s existence.
Global Internet Report 2017: Paths to Our Digital Future
The future of the Internet is ours to shape for the next generation. Humanity must be at the centre of tomorrow’s Internet. We cannot take the Internet for granted. The path to our digital future rests in our hands. We can start today by taking actions that will preserve the underlying values of the Internet and keep it on course to remain open, globally connected and secure.
Global Internet Report 2016: The Economics of Building Trust Online: Preventing Data Breaches
Today we are at a defining moment in the evolution and growth of the Internet. Large-scale data breaches, uncertainties about the use of our data, cybercrime, surveillance and other online threats are eroding users’ trust and affecting how they use the Internet. Eroding trust is also affecting the way governments view the Internet, and, is shaping the policy environment for the Internet around the world. The 2016 Global Internet Report takes a close look at data breaches through an economic lens and provides five clear recommendations for a path forward.
Global Internet Report 2015: Mobile Evolution and Development of the Global Internet
While there’s no question that the mobile Internet is changing everything, there are still big reasons why people aren’t logging on. The 2015 Global Internet Report presents data that shows it’s not always a question of if it’s available, but rather how cost and a lack of useful content are core to why people are not opting in.
Global Internet Report 2014: Open and Sustainable Access for All
The first in the series, Global Internet Report 2014 focuses on the open and sustainable Internet – what we mean by that, what benefits it brings, and how to overcome threats that prevent those of us already online from enjoying the full benefits, and what keeps non-users from going online in the first place.
