From the physical infrastructure to the services that run on top of it, the Internet has become a major focal point of debate around the world. Globally, Internet governance is split into three camps. On one side, there are proponents of an internet driven by ideals of freedom and openness, whose domestic governance usually manifests in an equitable multistakeholder approach. On the other side, authoritarians see the Internet as a threat to regime security and opt for a sovereign and controlled model, where the state is the primary force in governance over the Internet’s infrastructure and services. In the middle, there are the undecideds—some unsure of which direction to go, and others seeking a third way.

ISOC-DC held its annual debrief on the UN’s Internet Governance Forum (IGF). In addition to discussing IGF2017, which was held from December 18 to December 21 in Geneva, participants will discuss their observations from the Global Conference on Cyber Space (GCCS) held in November in New Delhi, India, as well as the 4th annual World Internet Conference held in Wuzhen, China, in December. These three conferences examined the forces and decisions that are shaping the Internet but from three very different perspectives. This was an audience participation event with opportunities to share observations, questions, and opinions.