As the global Internet continues to revolutionize how we communicate, gather information, and operate businesses, it is vital that we continue to explore these trends and their enormous policy implications. In acknowledgment of this electronic revolution, the first of its kind Global State of the Net Conference brought together influential legislators from the U.S., U.K. and E.U. parliamentary Internet groups to foster healthy inter-parliamentary dialogue of global Internet policy and promote cross-border cooperation.
In November 2007 technology policy leaders from across Europe and America met in London to engage on challenging technology policy issues such as telecom regulation, intellectual property protection, Internet governance and securing citizen privacy. The Global State of the Net Conference featured parliamentary leaders from Europe, Members of the U.S. Congressional Internet Caucus including Congressmen Rick Boucher and Bob Goodlatte, government officials, leading tech policy academics, industry executives and representatives from NGOs. The format for the conference was informal and encouraged more structured, substantive discussions of practical issues challenging global policymakers.
The Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford together with the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee (ICAC), part of a 501c3 charitable organization, provided a neutral platform for an informative policy dialogue. The ICAC is a private sector organization -- comprised of public interest groups, trade associations, non-profits, and corporations -- which hosts educational briefings on important Internet-related policy issues.
