Internet Standards and Frontier Technologies: Lessons from the Past, Tasks for Today, Choices for the Future – WS 05 2026

27 May 2026 | 14:30 - 15:30 CEST | LORD JENKINS
Consolidated programme 2026

Proposals: #17, #46, #47

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Session teaser

Starting from a review of Internet standards, this session examines how open standards can help deliver the Internet we want: resilient, secure, interoperable and inclusive, especially in a time of rapid technological and political change.

As debates on the future of Internet governance continue beyond WSIS+20, one question is becoming increasingly urgent: how do we preserve an open, secure and interoperable Internet while integrating new and more complex technologies?

The Internet’s success has long depended on open standards developed in multistakeholder processes and adopted across networks on a voluntary basis. This model enabled innovation, resilience and global interoperability. But today, the deployment of more complex, automation-dependent and sometimes non-backwards-compatible technologies is putting that model under pressure. At the same time, policymakers are taking a growing interest in standards-setting, while technologies such as AI, quantum computing and other frontier innovations are reshaping the technical and political environment in which the Internet evolves.

Session description

This session asks what we can learn from the Internet’s own history to guide the next phase of technological governance. It looks at the gap between standards development and standards deployment; the economics of adoption, including first-mover disadvantage; and the roles of governments, the technical community, the private sector and civil society in turning open standards into operational reality.

Bringing together technical and non-technical perspectives in the Brussels policy context, the session will explore how multistakeholder cooperation can help align public objectives and technical feasibility - and how standards can remain a practical tool for building the Internet we want.

Format

This workshop will start with inputs from key participants and be structured around four key questions:

(1) Success stories: What lessons from the Internet’s early governance and standards-setting model still matter today?

(2) Reality check: What are the main barriers to legitimate and effective standards-setting and uptake today (technical complexity, deployment challenges, weak incentives, or lack of coordination) and how can they be addressed?

(3) Inclusion and multistakeholder approaches: How can we ensure that all stakeholders are included and that standards are developed fairly and in a spirit of solidarity and inclusion?

(4) Future readiness: How should policymakers, the technical community, and other stakeholders work together on Internet standards in the age of AI, quantum and other frontier technologies, without undermining the Open Internet?

Further reading

Links to relevant websites, declarations, books, documents. Please note we cannot offer web space, so only links to external resources are possible. Example for an external link: Main page of EuroDIG

Recommended readings for Theme 1:

• Why Effective Digital Governance Begins with Understanding the Internet Itself: https://labs.ripe.net/author/hisham_ibrahim/why-effective-digital-governance-begins-with-understanding-the-internet-itself/
• Distinguishing the Internet’s Core From What Is Built on Top https://labs.ripe.net/author/hisham_ibrahim/distinguishing-the-internets-core-from-what-is-built-on-top/
• Schrödinger’s IPv6 Cat https://labs.ripe.net/author/hisham_ibrahim/schrodingers-ipv6-cat/

Recommended readings for Theme 3:

• Malcolm, J. (2015). Criteria of meaningful stakeholder inclusion in internet governance. Internet Policy Review, 4(4). https://doi.org/10.14763/2015.4.391
• Frei, N. (2021). Equality as a principle of the networked world? an exploratory search for ‘cyber-equality’ in the field of internet governance. Zeitschrift Für Ausländisches Öffentliches Recht Und Völkerrecht / Heidelberg Journal of International Law, 81(3), 627–650. https://doi.org/10.17104/0044-2348-2021-3-627
• Weber, R. H. (2015). Principles for governing the Internet: A comparative analysis. UNESCO Publishing. https://books.google.rs/books?id=6LHHCgAAQBAJ&lpg=PA3&ots=HlWSWGYPDM&lr&hl=sr&pg=PA24#v=onepage&q&f=false
• Raboy, M., Landry, N., & Shtern, J. (2010). Digital solidarities, communication policy and multi-stakeholder global governance: The legacy of the World Summit on the Information Society. Peter Lang. https://books.google.rs/books?id=TeFXwzvc7agC&lr=&hl=sr&source=gbs_navlinks_s
• ICANN Security and Stability Advisory Committee. (2024). DNSSEC Delegation Signer (DS) Record Automation (SAC126). Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. https://itp.cdn.icann.org/en/files/security-and-stability-advisory-committee-ssac-reports/sac-126-16-08-2024-en.pdf

People

Programme Committee member(s)

• Milica Vesović, Programme Manager in the Digital Development Unit, Directorate of Security, Integrity and Rule of Law at the Council of Europe
• Filip Lukáš, Policy Advisor at CENTR
• Regina Filipová Fuchsová, Industry Relations Manager at EURid

The Programme Committee (PC) supports the programme planning process throughout the year and works closely with the Secretariat. Members of the PC give advice on the topics, cluster the proposals and assist session organisers in their work. They also ensure that session principles are followed and monitor the complete programme to avoid repetition. 1-2 PC members have signed up to each session and will compile the messages.

Focal Point

• Matthias C. Kettemann, University of Innsbruck, Department of Legal Theory and Future of Law

Focal Points take over the responsibility and lead of the session organisation. They work in close cooperation with the Programme Committee and the EuroDIG Secretariat and are kindly requested to follow EuroDIG’s session principles

Organising Team (Org Team)

List Org Team members here as they sign up.

• André Melancia, Technical community, Portugal
• David Frautschy, Internet Society
• Alena Muravska, RIPE NCC
• Peter Thomassen, desec.io
• Karen Mulberry, Senior Manager, Public Affairs, IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA)
• Suncica Rosic, Central European University - Private University
• Barbara Jantzen
• Bruna Santos, WITNESS

The Org Team is a group of people shaping the session. Org Teams are open and every interested individual can become a member by subscribing to the mailing list.

Key Participants

• On theme 1, success stories, key participant 1, Alena Muravska Bio

• On theme 2, reality check, key participant 2, Peter Thomassen (CV)

• On theme 3, key participant 3, Suncica Rosic, (CV)

• On theme 4, key participants 4, Karen Mulberry and Bruna Martins dos Santos

• The discussion will be moderated by Matthias C. Kettemann, (CV)

Messages

The Programme Committee is responsible for taking notes during the session and to formulate 3 (max. 5) bullet points that are presented at the end of each session. The audience shall agree on the messages in (rough) consensus.

Messages should:

• reflect the discussion in the particular session
• relate to European Internet governance policy
• be forward looking and propose goals and activities

Video record

Will be provided here after the event.

Transcript

Will be provided here after the event.