Issue Treating cyberspace as a commons rather than as territory

Summary

The growth of the digital economy calls for rethinking territorial, jurisdictional and temporal boundaries, and this opportunity proposes treating cyberspace as a global commons. Cyberspace here means the interconnected networks, computer systems, internet and infrastructure that make digital connectivity possible. A global commons is a shared resource beyond national jurisdiction, as with Antarctica, the oceans and outer space, though there is a risk that some actors overuse such resources at others' expense. Research on outer space shows that the shared-resource ideal is often not reflected in the treaties and contracts that actually govern activity there. Four steps are proposed: identifying common principles, putting them into operation, winning buy-in for governance frameworks and documenting how treaties, agreements, standards and bodies such as ICANN and the Internet Governance Forum already treat cyberspace.