The higher education community, which has hosted many of the creators of the Internet and which has woven this technology into every aspect of education, now has a responsibility to work to defend an Internet policy framework based on user control, innovation, trust, and openness/competition.

The higher education community has long appreciated the potential of the Internet to expand access to information, facilitate communication, and promote human development. From the inception of the Internet, colleges and universities have worked to advance the realization of that potential. Today, advocacy in support of the open, innovative, and user-controlled Internet is more important than ever. The Internet has not grown by accident, nor is its future ensured. In fact, a number of current policy trends and pending proposals could radically change the nature of the Internet.