blog forum gdańsk 2012 | bloggers ultimate guide to impact the future

Presenter: Bill EchiksonHead of Free Expression, EMEA Google

Bloggers ultimate goal

TO IMPACT THE FUTURE

Web is the most powerful communication tool in history

2 BILLION people

online today

UGC is fuelling web growth

325 millionwebsites online in May 2011

UGC is fuelling web growth

5 exabytes of data created each day in 2011

UGC is fuelling web growth

250,000 words per minutewritten on Blogger

UGC is fuelling web growth

72 hours of videouploaded to YouTube per minute

UGC is fuelling web growth

70,000 photosuploaded to Facebook per minuteas of mid- 2011

UGC is fuelling web growth

100,000 tweetsposted per minute as of March 2011

Web is a powerful force for societal transformation

Technology is a double-edged sword

Example: Iran

Growing threat of Internet censorship

EXTRAGoogle's default position is to let information flow

EXTRAWe seek to be transparent about government requests

EXTRAExample: Transparency report

EXTRAExample: Web traffic visualisation

Example: Speak2Tweet in Egypt

Global Network InitiativeThe Global Network Initiative

European political support for freedom of expression

European political support for freedom of expression

“When you set people free you set the conditions for society and the economy to develop… The most important instrument of change in our time is the Internet”

– Swedish Foreign Minister, Carl Bildt

European political support for freedom of expression

“Respect for media pluralism, protection of journalists’ sources, freedom to criticise private and government powers… are all essential for the full exercise of freedom of expression, and the Commission is fully committed to the defence of fundamental rights”

– Vice President of the European Commission, Neelie Kroes

European political support for freedom of expression

“Promoting internet freedom is vital… Freedom of expression opens the gate to the enjoyment of many other human rights. Without it, the road to the rule of law and democracy remains closed. And free trade is being hindered”

– Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Uri Rosenthal

THANK YOU