Brands Are Both Purveyors and Customers of the Open Internet

“Open Internet,” “Web 3.0” and “Decentralized Web” are all terms increasingly being used across digital circles. But what exactly is the Open Internet and what does it mean for businesses and marketers? The Open Internet is global, accessible to all, secure and built on open, shared standards. It is an Internet where people can access tools and information across borders, quickly and easily connect and converse, without access being blocked or throttled or their voice being silenced by others. It is also an Internet that promotes and encourages choice and competition, allowing people to create an experience that fits their needs and providing businesses with the ability to innovate, grow their footprint and reach their customers. While this is largely the Internet as we experience it today, the Open Internet is about preserving and protecting that Internet and the benefits of it, particularly in light of shifting environments, various regulatory frameworks, industry standards and threats. To that end, not only is the Open Internet good for people, as it empowers cultural development and self-expression, it’s also good for business. Three key benefits of the Open Internet for businesses are: Every Brand Should Be Thinking Like A Wellness Brand Economic growth. Preserving the Open Internet means protecting an unprecedented engine for economic growth and opportunity. According to an October 2021 IAB study, the Internet economy grew seven times faster than the total U.S. economy and created over 7 million jobs in the last four years. It’s critical for businesses to do their part to keep this economy open and accessible to everyone.Increased choice. A more open Internet is a more competitive Internet, which gives businesses options in everything from the ecommerce solutions they use to the ways they reach existing and new customers. With this choice comes flexibility to leverage the tools that are right for your business, as well as durability and resiliency thanks to diversified media and audiences. As much as businesses stand to gain from the Open Internet, they are customers of it as well.More customers. The Open Internet enables businesses to reach people around the world, expanding their customer base and allowing them to bring their value and solutions to people at scale regardless of location. Thanks to the Open Internet, a small business in Accra can solve the unique needs of someone in Lima, in real time, driving growth and customer satisfaction. In order to protect the Open Internet and all of the benefits that come with it, the entire digital ecosystem—services, regulators, advertisers and users—needs to identify the qualities that should be protected and expanded, particularly as new regulations and standards are being proposed around the world. At Twitter, we believe these qualities are: The Open Internet should be available to all—meaning it’s global, free and secure.Trust must be earned through transparency, procedural fairness and privacy protections.Algorithms that inform online content environments should be subject to individual choice and control.Competition, choice and innovation must be protected and expanded.Content standards should be consistent with human rights standards and allow for a range of enforcement options. By supporting these principles, businesses can ensure they continue to benefit from the increased growth, competition and reach provided by the Open Internet. Marketers can help their companies and brands support these principles by thoughtfully understanding the risks of overly-aggressive content standards and investing in diverse digital media partners that uphold these principles. While these ideas can feel abstract, they ultimately make up the very foundation of the Internet we know and have come to rely on to run our businesses and keep up with what’s happening in the world. It is essential that advertisers, as an essential stakeholder in the online supply chain, lean into a coordinated strategy to defend the free, secure and global Open Internet.