USCIB attended the 18th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Kyoto earlier this month. The Forum featured the theme of “The Internet We Want – Empowering All People” and was headlined by notable speakers such as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. USCIB Vice President for ICT Policy Barbara Wanner was on the ground, along with USCIB Policy Associate Nan Schecter.   

Wanner coordinated USCIB members at the IGF including Amazon, Disney, EY, Google, Lego, Meta, Microsoft, Netflix and Verisign. USCIB members offered insights and expertise throughout the week in main sessions, workshops, and the “hallway meetings” that participants have come to value from the IGF. USCIB also participated in conversations on critical policy topics, including responsible AI governance, the upcoming WSIS+20 review to renew and reaffirm the IGF mandate, negotiations for a UN Cybercrime Convention that will prioritize law enforcement and stifle criminal activity and the Declaration for the Future of the Internet. 

A joint project between Business at OECD (BIAC) and The USCIB Foundation, entitled “Data Privacy in the Metaverse and Immersive Technologies,” was also spotlighted at two IGF side events. 

On October 9, USCIB members and stakeholders convened at a roundtable to discuss data governance issues related to emerging metaverse and immersive technologies. The conversation focused on the Asia Pacific region and highlighted how companies such as NEC and Toyota are employing metaverse training, content development and research funding to promote growth in the region of the metaverse. 

On October 11, Wanner moderated the panel “Creating virtual worlds? A case for innovation and policy that protects users and fosters trust.” Part of the Nikkei Digital Forum, this premier event featured speakers from the OECD, Microsoft, Roblox, and the Japan-based Center for International Economic Collaboration who discussed the status of development and adoption of immersive technologies, as well as necessary policy considerations for its deployment. 

“I want to thank the Government of Japan for hosting such an important event and for highlighting AI governance as the dominant topic for the 18th Forum,” said Wanner. She continued, “IGF as a whole, as well as the joint events between The USCIB Foundation and BIAC, allowed our members to share their technology priorities and enabled us to advocate for balanced policy and regulatory approaches to AI and the Internet.”