CONTRACT FOR THE WEB The Web was designed to bring people together and make knowledge freely available. It has changed the world for good and improved the lives of billions. Yet, many people are still unable to access its benefits and, for others, the Web comes with too many unacceptable costs. Everyone has a role to play in safeguarding the future of the Web. The Contract for the Web was created by representatives from over 80 organizations, representing governments, companies and civil society, and sets out commitments to guide digital policy agendas. To achieve the Contract’s goals, governments, companies, civil society and individuals must commit to sustained policy development, advocacy, and implementation of the Contract text. Endorse the Contract for the Web at contractfortheweb.org Contract for the Web (November 2019). Published under Creative Commons License: CC BY 4.0 Contract for the Web Governments will | 3 GOVERNMENTS WILL Ensure everyone can connect PRINCIPLE to the internet So that anyone, no matter who they are or where they live, 01 can participate actively online 1. By setting and tracking ambitious policy goals 3. By ensuring systematically excluded populations have effective paths towards a. 1GB of mobile data costs no more than meaningful internet access 2% of average monthly income by 2025. a. Implementing national broadband policies b. Access to broadband internet is available with specific actions designed to target for at least 90% of citizens by 2030, and the systematically excluded populations. gap towards that target is halved by 2025. b. Developing policies and providing funds c. At least 70% of youth over 10 years old and for broadband strategies, including adults have Information and Communication universal access and services definition, Technology (ICT) skills by 2025. with effective technology neutral financing mechanisms for network development 2. By designing robust policy-frameworks and in unserved and underserved areas. transparent enforcement institutions to achieve such goals, through c. Supporting the local production of content and applications, and the development a. Fiscal and Investment policies that of the necessary infrastructure and stimulate investment in-and adoption enabling environment for accelerating of- connectivity solutions. the growth of local digital businesses. b. Passive infrastructure sharing (towers, d. Designing policies to increase internet ducts on roads/rail/power lines), dig-once access and digital literacy of women and regulations and non-discriminatory and other systematically excluded groups. efficient management of radio spectrum to facilitate access to-and sharing of- spectrum for broadband connectivity. c. Open access rules on wholesale infrastructure in non-competitive areas, and access to license-exempt spectrum. d. Institutions with capacity to ensure compliance with laws and regulations designed to foster Internet adoption. 4 | Governments will Contract for the Web Keep all of the internet available, PRINCIPLE all of the time 02 So that no one is denied their right to full internet access 1. By establishing legal and regulatory c. Developing mechanisms to ensure all frameworks to minimize government- government content take-down requests triggered internet disruptions, and ensure are grounded in law, properly documented, any interference is only done in ways comply with human rights standards of consistent with human rights law legality, necessity and proportionality, include proper notification to the a. Engaging in national and international poster and potential audience, and are multi-stakeholder dialogues and subject to appeal and judicial review. mechanisms to ensure the maintenance of uninterrupted internet connections d. Developing mechanisms to ensure meaningful and promoting a Web that is not transparency for political advertising. restricted by public policy at borders. b. Engaging in transparent and documented 3. By promoting openness and competition in coordination with private sector actors to both internet access and content layers ensure that any attempts to restrict access to a. Supporting or establishing independent the internet are necessary and rely on means agencies with oversight, rule-making, that are proportionate to achieving a legitimate and enforcement capacity to ensure end, while minimizing the unintended side- internet access providers do not effects of legitimate actions on third parties. unreasonably discriminate against content, c. Researching and documenting the cost platforms, services, devices or users. of service interruptions to the national b. Supporting effective enforcement of economy, business and users. competition law at all layers of the network, including through the promotion 2. By creating capacity to ensure demands to of interoperability and open standards, remove illegal content are done in ways that as a means to ensure small actors and are consistent with human rights law innovators have a fair chance to develop and successfully deploy content, new a. Passing appropriate national laws and online businesses and new technologies. regulations to ensure the effective enforcement of established international c. Funding research to determine the treaty rights on the human rights to freedom degree and character of competition and/ of expression, of peaceful association or consolidation online, and its impact. and assembly, and the freedom to access information as applied to online speech, behavior, and online information. b. Funding research and engaging in multi stakeholder forums aimed at developing future regulation on moderation dispute resolution mechanisms and content take-down, including with the aim of limiting the impacts of misinformation and disinformation, to ensure these are aligned with human rights standards. Contract for the Web Governments will | 5 Respect and protect people’s PRINCIPLE fundamental online privacy and data rights 03 So everyone can use the internet freely, safely, and without fear 1. By establishing and enforcing comprehensive comply with international human rights norms, data protection and rights frameworks to and do not require service providers or data protect people’s fundamental right to privacy in processors to weaken or undermine the security both public and private sectors, underpinned of their products and services. Particularly, such by the rule of law. These frameworks should be demands should always be: applicable to all personal data — provided by the user, observed or inferred — and include: a. Made under clearly defined laws subject to a competent and independent judicial authority a. An appropriate legal basis for data that includes fair avenues for redress. processing. Where the legal basis is b. Restricted to those cases where there is a consent, it must be meaningful, freely given, legitimate public interest defined in law. informed, specific, and unambiguous. c. Time-bounded, and not unduly b. The right of access to personal data, including restricted from disclosure to affected to obtain a copy of all personal data individuals and the public. undergoing processing by an entity, so long as such access does not adversely affect the rights and freedoms of other users. 3. By supporting and monitoring privacy and online data rights in their jurisdictions, c. The right to object or withdraw particularly: from processing of personal data, including automated decision making a. Minimizing their own data collection to what and individual profiling, subject to is adequate, relevant, and necessary to explicit limits defined by law. achieve a clearly specified public interest. d. The right to rectification of inaccurate b. Requiring providers of public services and personal data, and erasure of personal private actors to comply with existing relevant data, when not against the right of legislation and supporting strong enforcement freedom of expression and information —including administrative penalties— by or other narrow limits defined by law. independent, skilled, empowered, and well-resourced dedicated regulators. e. The right to data portability, applicable to the personal data provided by the user, either c. Mandating public registers to promote directly or collected through observing the transparency of data sharing and/or users’ interaction with the service or device. purchase agreements in public and private sectors for profiling purposes, as well as f. The right to redress through independent for significant data breaches that are of complaints mechanisms against public public interest, to make users aware of when and private bodies that fail to respect and how their data could be exposed. people’s privacy and data rights. d. Requiring regular data security and privacy 2. By requiring that government demands for impact assessments, providing independent access to private communications and data and transparent oversight of the assessments are necessary and proportionate to the aim and independent audits for public and private pursued, lawful and subject to due process, sectors, and enforcing when appropriate. 6 | Companies will Contract for the Web COMPANIES WILL Make the internet affordable and PRINCIPLE accessible to everyone 04 So that no one is excluded from using and shaping the Web 1. By crafting policies that address the needs of 3. By ensuring full use of the internet by systematically excluded groups all, through a close coordination with Government and Civil Society towards a. Designing gender responsive and inclusive data plans targeting