Monday, thecongressman Darrell Issa (California) has signed the “Declaration of InternetFreedom”, a broad online document that aims to keep the internet free and open.Issa is the first elected official to sign this specific document. Moreover, congressmanIssa also published a "Digital Citizens Bill of Rights", a document that sponsors webopenness, and privacy online.

TheDeclaration, even if it counts an impressive group of signatures (more than1000 companies, civil liberty organizations, academics, and entrepreneurs), itis a very broad and vague document. For this reason it is pretty unlikely thatit will be soon transformed in a “practical version” that could reach a vote inthe U.S. House of Representatives or in the European Parliament. However, thechoice of Congressman Issa to sign the ‘Declaration of Freedom” is perceived bymany observers  as a turning point, whichcould lead to some important changes in the web-legislation.

For example,Senator Rand Paul along with his father, Ron Paul (U.S. former republicanpresidential candidate) put their hefty libertarian credentials behind a“manifesto” entitled “The Technology Revolution,” which aims to keep thegovernments’ hands entirely off the Internet.  “The revolution is occurring around theworld,” the document reads. “It is occurring in the private sector, not thepublic sector. It is occurring despite wrongheaded attempts by governments tomicromanage markets through disastrous industrial policy. And it is driven bythe Internet, the single greatest catalyst in history for individual libertyand free markets.”

Herereported the text of the declaration:

We stand for a free and open Internet.
We support transparent and participatory processes for making Internetpolicy and the establishment of five basic principles:
* Expression: Don't censor the Internet.
* Access: Promote universal access to fast and affordable networks.
* Openness: Keep the Internet an open network where everyone is free toconnect, communicate, write, read, watch, speak, listen, learn, create andinnovate.
* Innovation: Protect the freedom to innovate and create withoutpermission. Don’t block new technologies, and don’t punish innovators for theirusers' actions.

* Privacy: Protect privacy anddefend everyone’s ability to control how their data and devices are used.