The Freedom Online Coalition is a partnership of 32 governments, working to advance Internet freedom.
Coalition members work closely together to coordinate their diplomatic efforts and engage with civil society and the private sector to support Internet freedom – free expression, association, assembly, and privacy online – worldwide.
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Freedom Online Conference 2021
The Freedom Online Conference is the flagship event of the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC), bringing together governments and stakeholders from around the world to discuss the most urgent challenges to the realization of human rights online. This year, the conference will take place in Helsinki, Finland from 2-3 December.
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Coordination

At the 6th Annual Freedom Online Conference in Costa Rica, the Coalition presented the Outcome Document of the FOC Strategic Review, the San José Statement. The Statement and accompanying Work Plan set forth the Coalition’s aims and priority activities and offered a blueprint for revising the existing Nairobi Terms of Reference to update the FOC structure and operations to support these objectives. In furtherance of this aim, the FOC revised its Terms of Reference in May 2017.

The Coalition identified as a priority the need to create a strong mechanism for ongoing multistakeholder engagement. The FOC Advisory Network (FOC-AN) was established to play that role through regular engagement with FOC governments.

Joint Statements

Joint Statement on Spread of Disinformation Online

NOVEMBER 2020 In its “Joint Statement on Spread of Disinformation Online”, the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) expresses deep concern about the growing scope and sophistication of disinformation, which has been employed by state and non-state actors with political, ideological, commercial or other motives. To address this trend, the FOC calls upon governments to refrain from…

Engaging civil society ahead of the Freedom Online Coalition’s Joint Statement on AI and human rights

Conferences

Once a year, the FOC holds a multistakeholder conference that aims to deepen the discussion on how freedom of expression on the Internet is helping to promote social, cultural and economic development. The conference offers an open platform for discussion among all stakeholders – governments, civil society, the private sector, and others – to share relevant information, develop joint strategies and combine efforts towards their mutual goal of a human rights based Internet. 

Advisory Network

At the 6th Annual Freedom Online Conference in Costa Rica, the Coalition presented the Outcome Document of the FOC Strategic Review, the San José Statement. The Statement and accompanying Work Plan set forth the Coalition’s aims and priority activities and offered a blueprint for revising the existing Nairobi Terms of Reference to update the FOC structure and operations to support these objectives. In furtherance of this aim, the FOC revised its Terms of Reference in May 2017.

The Coalition identified as a priority the need to create a strong mechanism for ongoing multistakeholder engagement. The FOC Advisory Network (FOC-AN) was established to play that role through regular engagement with FOC governments.

To assist the Coalition in setting up the Advisory Network and developing its draft terms of reference, the FOC Friends of the Chair established an ad hoc Advisory Network Chartering Group (CG) comprised of Matthew Shears (former co-chair of FOC working Group 1), Katharine Kendrick (former co-chair of FOC Working Group 3), and the governments of Costa Rica, Finland and Germany.

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The Coalition is constantly expanding and open to additional countries who have demonstrated a strong commitment to human rights and Internet freedom around the globe.