How dialogue shaped a safer, more connected web

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the Internet Society (ISOC) pulls back the curtain on the tangible legacy of two decades of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF).

How we connect, work, and share online is woven into the fabric of modern life. Yet, this intricate digital tapestry didn’t just appear. It was built, decision-by-decision, conversation-by-conversation, often in rooms far from the public eye at such forums.

“The internet didn’t stay unified by chance. Its resilience is the result of people and institutions working across borders and sectors,” said Kurtis Lindqvist, ICANN President and CEO.

The IGF was created in 2005 with a unique mandate: not to regulate or command, but simply to bring people together. While critics sometimes dismiss it as a “talking shop,” a new report, ‘Footprints of 20 Years of the Internet Governance Forum,’ argues this dialogue has been the very engine of progress.

The report shows how a multistakeholder model – getting governments, tech experts, businesses, and activists around the same table – has been vital for building the frameworks and trust that hold our digital world together.

“This report underscores that the internet’s success is not accidental; it’s coordinated. If we value a single, secure, and interoperable internet, then we must recommit to the model that made it possible,” adds Lindqvist.

IGF’s legacy: From unconnected to empowered

For a third of the world’s population, the promise of the internet remains just out of reach. The IGF has been a crucial incubator for ideas to change that, championing community-led solutions.

Discussions at the forum nurtured the growth of community networks, where people literally build their own internet. We see the results in the mountains of Georgia, the Argentinian Patagonia, and even in Canada’s remote Arctic. This is not just theory; between 2020 and 2024, ISOC channelled over $3.1 million into 85 such projects, empowering communities to connect themselves.

The forum also helped untangle the inefficient pathways of early internet infrastructure. Before the widespread adoption of Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), an email to your neighbour could be routed through a server on another continent, making connections slow and expensive. IGF discussions highlighted how IXPs, which keep local traffic local, could change the game.

The impact of IXPs has been staggering. In Africa, the number of IXPs more than doubled in a decade, growing from 19 to 46. A 2012 study found Kenya’s IXP saved providers almost $1.5 million annually while cutting latency from up to 600ms to a crisp 2-10ms. This makes a robust local digital economy possible.

True access also means being able to use the web in your own language. The IGF has been a platform for advancing Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs), breaking away from an English-dominated system. Today, there are almost 4.4 million IDNs registered at the second level, a direct result of the collaborative push for a multilingual internet.

Building a digital neighbourhood watch

As the internet grew, so did the risks. The global routing system, the internet’s digital postal service, was built on trust and lacked robust verification. The IGF provided the platform for a collective response.

The Mutually Agreed Norms for Routing Security (MANRS) initiative, born from these conversations, acts like a global neighbourhood watch for network operators. What began with nine operators has swelled into a coalition of over 1,000, all working to prevent routing incidents and attacks.

In the same vein, the forum has championed the adoption of DNSSEC, a technology that acts like a digital wax seal on the internet’s address book. It ensures that when you type in a web address, you are taken to the correct destination, not a malicious imitation. Years of advocacy at IGF events have paid off. As of April 2025, over 93% of top-level domains are now signed with DNSSEC, making the web a safer place for everyone.

These security efforts extend to the fierce defence of encryption. As some policymakers push for measures that could weaken this foundational technology, coalitions formed at the IGF have consistently made the case that strong encryption is essential for safety and trust, not a barrier to it.

Governance that grew up with the internet

The IGF has also been a space for the internet’s own governance to mature. ICANN’s journey towards independence from the US government was scrutinised and debated in early IGF sessions, a process that culminated in the historic IANA Stewardship Transition that placed oversight in the hands of the global community.

This spirit of decentralisation is embodied in the IGF’s network of over 180 National and Regional Initiatives (NRIs). These local forums translate global principles into local action.

The Caribbean Internet Governance Forum (CIGF), for example, established a regional policy framework that has driven real infrastructure growth. More recently, a formal Parliamentary Track launched in 2023 is bringing lawmakers directly into these technical conversations, helping them craft smarter, globally-aware legislation.

“For twenty years, the IGF has shown that multistakeholder governance delivers,” explained Sally Wentworth, President and CEO of the Internet Society. “Its footprint spans infrastructure, security, access, and policy—often in places where conventional governance falls short.

“But the gains we’ve made are only as strong as our commitment to keep investing in them.”

IGF is opening the doors to everyone

Perhaps the IGF’s most human legacy is its work in making internet governance more inclusive. Over 50 Youth IGFs have sprung up, ensuring that the generation with the most at stake has a powerful voice in shaping the future. More than 40 Schools of Internet Governance now exist worldwide, cultivating the next generation of leaders.

The Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and Disability (DCAD), formed in 2007, has successfully campaigned for tangible improvements to break down participation barriers, like providing International Sign Language interpretation at major sessions.

The IGF’s footprints may be decentralised, but they are deep. They are found in the code that makes our connections more secure, in the community-built networks that light up remote villages, and in the diverse voices now included in the global dialogue.

The internet we have today was not inevitable; it was, and continues to be, shaped by the power of dialogue.

(Photo by Jason Leung)

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Tags: broadband, connectivity, icann, igf, internet, isoc, networks, rural, telecoms