The internet is contingent, not resilient, and will depend on SDOs.

Clément Perarnaud, “Finding the path to a more open internet. A new European approach toward internet standards,” Open Future, 02-12-2024, https://openfuture.pubpub.org/pub/internet-standards/release/3

V. Conclusion: Building an alternative imaginary and trajectory for the future of the open internet

“Making it possible for the world’s computers to talk to one another was an impressive technical achievement. Making this machinic conversation serve an end other than infinite accumulation will be a political one. It may seem unlikely, but so was the internet. History is filled with improbable turns that look inevitable in retrospect. The future will be too.” (Tarnoff, 2022)

The internet is contingent. It is the result of technological and political choices and imaginaries that, over the course of half a century, gradually shaped its unique structure and the affordances it grants to its multitude of users – be they states, companies, or individuals.

The current status quo for internet standard-setting, namely the predominant private industry-driven regime, falls short in terms of democratic accountability, legitimacy, and inclusion. This model also does not appear well-equipped to address worrying patterns of market consolidation and power shifts favoring a few large technological companies.