The rules of the internet are set by governments, companies, technical bodies and civil society together. We help students, innovators, MSMEs and communities understand those rules and take part in shaping them. The programme is coordinated by our Internet Governance Working Group.
Awareness topics
- How the internet is governed: the multistakeholder model, the Internet Governance Forum, ICANN and India IGF
- Digital literacy, online safety and responsible internet use
- Data protection and privacy under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023
- The IT Act, 2000, intermediary liability and content rules
- Domain names and a balanced approach to rights in the domain name system: trademark protection alongside registrants’ free expression, fair use and privacy
- Artificial intelligence, open standards, net neutrality and emerging tech policy
FIRSTIP at ICANN
FIRSTIP intends to participate in ICANN’s Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group (NCSG), representing the public-interest concerns of non-commercial internet users, researchers, students and grassroots innovators in domain name policy. Our Internet Governance Working Group prepares our inputs to ICANN public comments and NCSG discussions, supports our Official Organizational Representative, and reports back to members after each ICANN meeting.
Formats
- Campus sessions and youth fellowships on internet policy, including support for ICANN Fellowship and NextGen applications
- Workshops for MSMEs and start-ups on data protection compliance
- Community digital-inclusion drives
- Policy briefs and consultation responses