The Chinese president has called for nations to respect borders when it comes to establishing a "common future" online. But he said China will not close its door to the internet, signalling a new policy in the making.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday urged executives in the tech industry to "respect cyberspace sovereignty" during the keynote speech of the three-day World Internet Conference in the city of Wuzhen.
Digital rights groups have accused China of implementing a policy of censorship on the internet in the country by blocking access, saying it masks such practices by insisting on a policy of "cyberspace sovereignty."
However, Xi said that as the globe becomes increasingly interconnected with growing access to the internet, China will be a partner in establishing a "common future."
"Building a community of common future in cyberspace has increasingly become the widespread common understanding of international society," Xi said. "China's door to the world will never close, but will only open wider."
Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies
Germany has passed a new law on social media in 2017, despite complaints from social media companies worried about the impact on their business. But how far is too far? DW examines the trends.
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Free speech or illegal content?
Whether hate speech, propaganda or activism, governments across the globe have upped efforts to curb content deemed illegal from circulating on social networks. From drawn-out court cases to blanket bans, DW examines how some countries try to stop the circulation of illicit content while others attempt to regulate social media.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/W. Kastl
Social media law
After a public debate in Germany, a new law on social media came into effect in October. The legislation imposes heavy fines on social media companies, such as Facebook, for failing to take down posts containing hate speech. Facebook and other social media companies have complained about the law, saying that harsh rules might lead to unnecessary censorship.
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Right to be forgotten
In 2014, the European Court of Justice ruled that European citizens had the right to request search engines, such as Google and Bing, remove "inaccurate, inadequate, irrelevant or excessive" search results linked to their name. Although Google has complied with the ruling, it has done so reluctantly, warning that it could make the internet as "free as the world's least free place."
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Blanket ban
In May 2017, Ukraine imposed sanctions on Russian social media platforms and web services. The blanket ban affected millions of Ukrainian citizens, many of whom were anxious about their data. The move prompted young Ukrainians to protest on the streets, calling for the government to reinstate access to platforms that included VKontakte (VK), Russia's largest social network.
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Safe Harbor
In 2015, the European Court of Justice ruled that Safe Harbor, a 15-year-old pact between the US and EU that allowed the transfer of personal data without prior approval, was effectively invalid. Austrian law student Max Schrems launched the legal proceedings against Facebook in response to revelations made by former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, Edward Snowden.
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Regulation
In China, the use of social media is highly regulated by the government. Beijing has effectively blocked access to thousands of websites and platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Instead, China offers its citizens access to local social media platforms, such as Weibo and WeChat, which boast hundreds of millions of monthly users.
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Twitter bans Russia-linked accounts
Many politicians and media outlets blame Russia's influence for Donald Trump's election victory in 2016. Moscow reportedly used Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Instagram to shape public opinion on key issues. In October 2017, Twitter suspended over 2,750 accounts due to alleged Russian propaganda. The platform also banned ads from RT (formerly Russia Today) and the Sputnik news agency.
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Facebook announces propaganda-linked tool
With social media under pressure for allowing alleged Russian meddling, Facebook announced a new project to combat such efforts in November 2017. The upcoming page will give users a chance to check if they "liked" or followed an alleged propaganda account on Facebook or Instagram. Meanwhile, Facebook has come under fire for not protecting user data in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
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Censorship in China
Beijing systematically censors a wide range of content, including independent human rights evaluations, criticism of state policy and politically sensitive discussions, the Washington-based rights watchdog Freedom House said in its 2017 internet freedom report.
"The heavily manipulated online environment still provides more space for average citizens to express themselves or criticize the state than any other medium in China," the report said.
"But digital activism has declined amid growing legal and technical restrictions as well as heavy prison sentences against prominent civil society figures."
'Future policy'
However, some view Xi's remarks as a positive sign of China's leadership role in developing the future of the internet.
Luigi Gambardella, who serves as president of business-led association ChinaEU, said Xi's statement at the conference shows his commitment to Beijing's role in fostering cooperation and coordination in cyberspace, reported state-run Xinhua news agency.
"Xi recognizes that there are many challenges ahead of us such as security problems and privacy protection. Today it's not possible to discuss future policy and regulation of the internet without China," Gambardella said. "Xi's words show that China is very keen to work with other countries to discuss the challenge and to cooperate."
This year also marked the first time major US tech executives were invited to the conference, with Apple's Tim Cook and Google's Sundar Pichai in attendance.
The world's biggest internet-based companies
A quarter of a century ago, British physicist Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web - and unleashed a revolution. Here are the 10 biggest companies that would have been unthinkable without the web.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Qing
#10: Salesforce
The San Francisco-based company is a worldwide leader in cloud computing solutions for business. It makes programs available for rent over the internet - a concept also know as "software as a service." Salesforce founder and CEO Marc Benioff calls it "the end of software." Market cap: $57 billion (51 billion euros).
Image: Getty Images/J.Sullivan
#9: Ant Financial
Ant Financial Services Group - formerly known as Alipay - is a subsidiary of China's Alibaba Group. It operates an online payment platform. The company provides online payment services and also sells insurance products. Headquarters is in Hangzhou, China. Market cap: $60 billion.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Qing
#8: Baidu
Baidu is a Chinese company that operates the search engine of the same name. Alexa internet statistics show Beijing-based Baidu as one of the world's top-five websites. The search engine is frequently accused of playing a role in China's state internet monitoring. Market cap: $62 billion.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/L.Fuhua
#7: Uber
Uber operates a website and smartphone app that allows passengers to find a ride, generally private drivers using their own cars. The San Francisco company receives a commission of up to 20 percent of the price. Uber is very controversial due to its use of non-licensed drivers and has faced legal action in numerous countries. Market cap: $63 billion.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Da Qing
#6: Priceline
The Priceline Group is a US company based in Norwalk, Connecticut. It operates the online travel portal. It was founded in 1997 and went public two years later. In 2010, Priceline.com was the world's largest search engine for hotel reservations. Priceline also operates travel, car rental and restaurant portals. Market cap: $63 billion.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D.Healey
#5: Alibaba
The internet auction and trading platform Alibaba was founded in 1999 by former English teacher Jack Ma. Six years later, Yahoo took a 40-percent stake in the Hangzhou, China-based company. Alibaba has been traded on the New York Stock Exchange since September 2014. Its 22 billion dollar IPO was one of the largest ever. Market cap: $205 billion.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Y.Ming
#4: Tencent
The company is legally based in the Cayman Islands (British tax haven), but its main office is in Shenzhen, China. Tencent is involved in social networks, web portals, internet-based telephony, online games, e-commerce and online advertising. Market cap: $206 billion.
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#3: Facebook
With more than 1.7 billion active monthly users, the empire of founder and multi-billionaire is by far the world's biggest social network. Since it went online in 2004, Facebook has faced criticism, particularly in Europe, about its data protection policies - without any obvious effect on its growth. Market cap: $340 billion.
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#2: Amazon
The mother of all online retailers is also the largest in terms of sales and market capitalization. Amazon was founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos - who still leads the Seattle, Washington-based company today. But the online giant has faced anger, particularly due to its tax avoidance strategies. Market cap: $341 billion.
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#1: Google/Alphabet
Internet services, e-commerce, online advertising, software development, health, biotechnology, investment - Alphabet Inc. has been the holding company for Google and its former offshoots. The company is based in Mountain View, California, in Silicon Valley. It's headed by Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Market cap: $510 billion.
