Telefónica endorses the Contract for the web to leave no one behind in digitalization

Telefónica joins the “Contract for the web” initiative, fathered and presented by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, within the framework of the Internet Governance Forum 2019 that is being held this week in Berlin. The Contract for the web is a starting point for establishing a New Digital Deal with the aim of achieving a human-centric digitalization, as we propose in our Digital Manifesto.

The creator of the World Wide Web has launched the first ever global plan that sets out concrete actions that governments, businesses and individual citizens can take to ensure a safe and accessible Internet for all.

“The Contract for the Web gives us a roadmap to build a better web. But it will not happen unless we all commit to the challenge. Governments need to strengthen laws and regulations for the digital age. Companies must do more to ensure pursuit of profit is not at the expense of human rights and democracy. And citizens must hold those in power accountable, demand their digital rights be respected and help foster healthy conversation online. It’s up to all of us to fight for the web we want,” Sir Tim Berners-Lee.

This initiative develops a set of principles for governments, businesses and citizens to protect an open and secure web for the good of humankind, based on three main axes:

• Making the Internet accessible and affordable for all
• Respect consumer privacy and personal data
• Develop technologies for the good of society, giving priority to people.

At Telefónica we are firmly believers multi stakeholder processes are the way to reach common solutions to secure the open Internet as firstly created 30 years ago by Sir Tim Berners Lee. That’s why we engaged in the Contract for the Web project at early stages.

The Contract has already been endorsed by more than 150 organizations, including Google, Facebook, Microsoft and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, as well as thousands of individuals and governments, including Germany, France and Ghana. Telefónica is up to date the unique telecommunications company to join the initiative: first supporting the principles, then drafting the Contract and now adhering to the full Contract. Telefónica has supported the initiative right from its start last year at Web Summit in Lisboa leaded by Tim Berners-Lee, and worked on the principles along with more than 80 experts from different sectors participated in the drafting of the Contract.

“We need to see more collaboration like this to drive change in the way that technology is developed, regulated and used. The Contract for the Web is just the beginning”, says Adrian Lovett, President and CEO of the World Wide Web Foundation.