Elon University

Internet Governance Forum in Rio – November 2007

IGF Brazil Logo The Internet Governance Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Nov. 12-15, 2007, was the second of five annual global events that attract stakeholders from all walks of life who come together to discuss issues tied to the future of information and communications technologies.

This Web page offers links to full IGF coverage, including daily written and video reports assembled by Imagining the Internet. It explores key concerns, with expert interviews with people from around the world, including a survey on the future of Internet governance, six documentary packages, a multimedia slide show and 13 blogs. Most of the reports on this page were filed at IGF, as it took place, by an eight-person group from Elon University’s School of Communications; other site content was processed in the months following the event. Thank you to Markus Kummer and the UN IGF Secretariat, as well as the many IGF participants who helped out with the gathering of this content.

< Click here to see a four-minute audio/slideshow from the opening session>
< Click here to go to the data gathered for the IGF-Rio Internet Policy Survey >
< Click here to go to a page with links to individual IGF-Rio video interviews >

Daily IGF Rio Blogs and Videos

IGF Rio Interview PhotoNovember 11, 2007 – The Internet was invented in the global North, and it is currently dominated by Northern culture and languages. How can we expand the scope and diversity of content online? How can we support more local, user-generated content? How can we assure that content reaches disabled people? The elderly? The illiterate?

<View Video on DIVERSITY – by Dannika Lewis >
View Video on INTERNATIONALIZATION – by Dan Anderson >

Diversity: All languages, cultures, abilities – by Janna Anderson
Internet standards undergo scrutiny – by Janna Anderson
GigaNet showcases academic work – by Connie Book


Panel Discussion IGF 2007November 12, 2007 – The Digital Divide was one of several key points of focus on the first official day of IGF Rio 2007. How can we allow more people access to the Internet? What are the infrastructure barriers? What are the cost barriers? What about people in developing countries, rural areas, islands? And what about the threat of economic barriers that could impede access to parts or all of the Internet?

<View Video on ACCESS – by Anne Nicholson >
View Video I from Access Dynamic Coalition>
<View Video II from Access Dynamic Coalition>
<View Video III from Access Dynamic Coalition>
<View Video IV from Access Dynamic Coalition>
<View Video V from Access Dynamic Coalition>
<View Video VI from Access Dynamic Coalition>

Getting the next billion people online – by Janna Anderson
More press shows success of IGF Rio – by Janna Anderson
A meeting of Internet actors – by Connie Book


Shazad Headshot IGF 2007 November 13, 2007 – Openness in the world’s networks was a key theme of day two at IGF Rio. Those in attendance talked about ways to foster freedom of expression, protecting privacy and property rights without limiting freedom of expression, and they discussed the Internet filters imposed by governments and corporations.

<View Video on OPENNESS – by Michele Hammerbacher>

Openness: Expression collides with control – by Janna Anderson
New spin on network neutrality – by Connie Book


Panel Interview Group PhotoNovember 14, 2007 – Internet security was one of the main topics of day three at IGF Rio. Attendees discussed strategies to deal with threats to countries, businesses and individuals. Some threats include identity theft, cybercrime, cyberterrorism, cyberwar, pornography, spam, viruses and network attacks.

<View Video on SECURITY – by Eryn Gradwell>

Internet security issues loom large – by Janna Anderson
Working the crowd at IGF 2007 – by Connie Book


Audience Member IGF 2007November 15, 2007 – Throughout the 2007 Internet Governance Forum, participants discussed the future of critical Internet resources, the infrastructure, control systems and protocols that allow the Internet to function as a stable global network.

<View Video on CIR – by Anne Nicholson >
<View Video I from CIR Main Session>
<View Video II from CIR Main Session>
<View Video III from CIR Main Session>
<View Video IV from CIR Main Session>

The struggle over critical Internet resources – by Janna Anderson
Internet Resources session draws big crowd – by Janna Anderson
Experts: Move to IPv6 must be accelerated – by Janna Anderson

To see additional individual videos featuring IGF-Rio participants, click here.

To see the videos in MPEG4 format (smaller file size), click here.

To find out more about IGF and see details on upcoming activities, click here.

Links to IGF-related content produced by the NGO IP Justice can be found here.


The videos on this site are offered for use under a Creative Commons Noncommercial License allowing no derivative works. Executive producer, Janna Anderson; associate producers, Daniel Anderson and Connie Book; videographer and editor, J McMerty; and reporters, Anne Nicholson, Michele Hammerbacher, Dannika Lewis and Eryn Gradwell.