”I don’t want a new Digital Cold War!” EU Digital...

of the Internet, and because some don’t like its openness and transparency they'd prefer a more hierarchical and country-to-country governance, her written remarks said. Others complain that the current governance model is unduly dominated by the U.S. or excludes the poorest. They want bodies such as the United Nations to give them political power, she said. With distrust growing, now isn’t the time for a digital cold war, Kroes said. Europe doesn’t want governments or the ITU to control the Internet, and is fighting to keep it from being fragmented into national “intranets,” she said. What matters most is the “clear divide that has emerged between countries, and the mutual suspicion that someone is trying to unilaterally control a common resource.” Europe has been in a similar situation before, but it shouldn’t turn this into a struggle between civilizations. The Internet isn’t about Western cultural supremacy, but is what one makes of it, she said. In addition, the EU can get better at the multistakeholder model by improving relations with the information and communications technology and Internet communities and making the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers better, she said. She also wants Europe to work better with international partners to ensure nations don’t feel they're excluded from a rich members’ club. Moreover, it’s “time for diplomats to realise the importance of the internet,” she said. It’s important to understand why countries take the positions they do, and to engage with them on the merits of a distributed approach to online policymaking. Finally, Kroes said, Europeans must develop their vision for the Internet, defend their values, and challenge those who oppose European freedoms. Kroes said she'll focus on these issues in coming months.