Shaping the Future of an Open and Free Internet: The Impact of Global Restrictions on Anti-Censorship and Encryption Tools

Register

Around the world, governments are increasingly exerting control over the technologies people rely on to access a free and open internet. The availability and effectiveness of anti-censorship and end-to-end encryption tools depend on an internet that is open, interoperable, and respectful of individual rights. Anti-censorship tools allow people to bypass state-imposed censorship, communicate freely across borders, and protect their personal data. Similarly, end-to-end encryption ensures secure communication, providing individuals with stronger privacy guarantees and enabling trust in the confidentiality of their messages.

Policymakers, civil society, and the private sector have all taken innovative steps to support these crucial technologies. Some governments have legally protected access to encryption, recognizing its importance for national security. The private sector has increasingly integrated VPNs into mainstream products, making them more accessible for everyday users. Civil society has also successfully pushed back against legislative attempts to introduce backdoors into encrypted communications.

This event will unveil Tunnel Vision: Anti-censorship Tools, End-to-end Encryption, and the Fight for a Free and Open Internet, a joint report by EUI and Freedom House. The report examines the growing government restrictions on these technologies, placing this trend within the broader context of the erosion of a free, open, and interoperable internet. Governments, spanning both authoritarian and democratic regimes, have attempted to restrict access to these tools through outright bans, formalized blocks, and burdensome legal requirements. These measures serve as a force multiplier for existing digital repression, limiting one more way for individuals to bypass censorship and evade intrusive surveillance. Given the interconnected nature of the internet, efforts to undermine these tools in one jurisdiction can have far-reaching impacts beyond national borders.

To support the continued advancement of a free and open internet, the report offers concrete policy recommendations on how to sustain and expand this progress. Doing so is essential for unlocking the economic, societal, and political benefits that a free and open internet can deliver.

Following the launch, a closed-door roundtable, titled Strengthening Societal Resilience Against Digital Authoritarianism: What Role for the EU? , will bring together the authors and invited experts to discuss actionable recommendations that could shape future EU actions in this critical area.

Event Schedule (in CEST):

• 9:00-9:30: Registration and welcome coffee
• 9:40-10:00: Presentation of the report
• 10:00-11:00: Panel discussion

Event Participants:

• Patryk Pawlak (moderator), Project Director, Global Initiative on the Future of the Internet, European University Institute
• Stella Ronner-Grubačić, Deputy Managing Director, Values and Multilateral Relations, European External Action Service
• Grant Baker, Research Analyst for Technology and Democracy, Freedom House
• Fereidoon Bashar, Executive Director, ASL19
• Ramsha Jahangir, Researcher and journalist, Tech Policy Press
• Raisa Urribarri, Researcher and journalist, El Centro Internacional de Estudios Políticos y Sociales