Amnesty International, Harvard professors sign Declaration of Internet Freedom

More than 100 organizations, entrepreneurs and activists have come together in an effort to protect web freedoms. (internetdeclaration.org)On Jan.18, more than 115,000 websites took part in an internet-wide "blackout" to protest legislation that they argue could jeopardize the free and open net as we know it.

The efforts of those opposed to the Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA) were effective enough that both of the offending bills were shelved and the entire campaign hailed as a massive success.

But organizers behind the anti-SOPA/PIPA movement say that the battle to keep our Internet open is far from over.

"We're ready to move from defense to offense; ready to support something, rather than just oppose something; ready to transform that powerful moment, where internet users rose up as one to oppose online censorship, into a lasting movement for Internet freedom," writes Leslie Harris from the Center for Democracy & Technology.

Her organization joins more than 100 tech innovators, startup founders, activists and academics as signatories of the newly formed Declaration of Internet Freedom.



Announced Monday, the document is a massive collaborative effort pioneered by the likes of The Electronic Frontier Foundation, Mozilla, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and Free Press, an internet and media advocacy organization.

"We shouldn't mess with online openness. It's at the core of why -- and how -- the internet has revolutionized culture, politics and community across the globe," wrote Free Press' Josh Levy on the organization's blog.

"If we didn't have the freedom to express and share what we want online, our laptops, tablets and phones would be little more than 21st-century television sets. But for years, powerful interests have sought to limit online innovation and free speech. And for years, internet users have joined together to protect Net Neutrality and fight for universal access to an affordable, high-speed and open internet."

Hundreds of notable agencies and individuals have already signed on to endorse the declaration, including Dr. Michael Geist, Canada Research Chair of Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa.

"Dozens of civil society groups have issued a Declaration of Internet Freedom that focuses on five principles: expression, access, openness, innovation, and privacy," wrote Geist on his blog.

The full declaration and principles can be found at internetdeclaration.org, and also in the image below:



Canadians can sign the petition at Accessnow.org.

Will you be signing the declaration for Internet Freedom? What does an open web mean to you?