The Internet is essentially a transnational network of networks - but the question of who regulates, manages and influences it is anything but neutral. The "Internet Governance" theme file focuses on the global organization of the Internet: from technical standards and domain name management to regulation, power relations and public values in the digital space.

Internet governance spans multiple levels:

-Technical management, such as assigning IP addresses and domain names (think organizations like ICANN and IETF);

-Policy making, at both national and international levels, addressing issues such as net neutrality, content regulation and cybersecurity;

-Geopolitics and sovereignty, such as tensions between open Internet principles and state control or data localization.

Relevant laws, regulations and initiatives:

-The EU Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA) for platform supervision and market regulation;

-The Dutch commitment within the EU cyberspace strategy and the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF);

-Discussions about maintaining an open, free and interoperable Internet, versus state-controlled alternatives (such as the Chinese "splinter Internet" model);

-International cooperation on standards, DNS management, and cross-border data access (such as through Cloud Act of e-evidence).

We also cover current developments such as:

-The call for European digital sovereignty;

-The Influence of Big Tech on Global Internet Rules;

-And public interests such as transparency, human rights and accessibility within online infrastructures.