Neurotechnologies and the future of internet governance

Abstract

Neurotechnologies are poised to disrupt relevant socioeconomic rights from healthcare to human identity, blurring the lines between mind, machine, and reality. The challenges they pose are unlike any seen before. 2. The intersection of neurotechnology and Internet governance is largely unexplored on the international policy agenda. These technologies encompass not only the direct recording or alteration of brain activity but also the interpretation of emotions and mental states based on data collected from wearable devices, apps, or AI-based analysis. 3. There is fragmentation and limited knowledge about how to approach this topic through the lens of Internet governance. Questions related to neuro infrastructure, standards and access to technologies, as well as protections for neural data remain unaddressed in global Internet policy discussions; nor are they adequately captured by processes such as the Global Digital Compact or the 20th review of the World Summit on Information Society. 4. Multilateral initiatives, such as the Declaration for the Future of the Internet, provide fertile ground to kick off the discussion on the embedding of neurotechnologies as a multifaceted issue governed through a multistakeholder, rights-respecting approach. 5. As the post-2030 sustainable agenda is redefined, it is timely to consider how neurotechnology can be part of future-oriented Internet frameworks currently under negotiation.