This project’s objective is to ensure the inclusion of actors representing the public interest within the process of making technical standards for the internet. Technical-standards making has far- reaching consequences for how the internet is built and developed, such as the impact of surveillance and censorship on users in repressive countries. The Center for Democracy & Technology’s (CDT’s) Chief Technologist, Mallory Knodel, aims to address the low public interest involvement in technical standards making; the low understanding among technical standards setting bodies about the consequences of technical decisions for users; and the low technical knowledge among public interest groups representing users in repressive countries.
CDT’s goal is to increase public interest engagement and representation in standards processes, and to increase public understanding of the activities that take place in those fora. Mallory is currently serving on the Internet Architecture Board and has been actively involved in IETF, including its public interest technology group.
