Internet Governance During Times of War and Conflict

In the aftermath of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, a new iron curtain has descended on Russia’s Internet, with a multitude of social networks, online services, and payment services, either leaving the Russian market entirely or imposing significant restrictions on their services. In addition, providers of core technical Internet infrastructure, including domain name registrars, SSL certificate authorities, and Internet backbone providers, have come under pressure to respond, either in response to directly pleas from the Ukrainian government or due to legal obligations from global sanctions. Many observers remain divided over the optimal response as they seek to balance competing interests, such as restricting dissemination of Russian state-sponsored propaganda while providing Russian citizens access to independent news.

ITIF held a discussion about Internet governance during times of global strife, lessons from past conflicts, and the future of the open Internet.