Signing Statement for the International Partnership for Information and Democracy

Office of the Spokesperson

The United States is pleased to announce that it is joining the International Partnership for Information and Democracy. We look forward to working with the other partners on promoting and implementing democratic principles in the global information and communication space.

We applaud the International Partnership for Information and Democracy’s emphasis on respecting human rights and the rule of law, including the protection of freedom of expression. The United States recognizes the importance of protecting the freedom of individuals to seek, receive, and impart information through media of their choice. Further, given the immense variation in the character, purpose, and size of the many online service providers around the world, the United States recognizes that their policies will naturally vary across platforms. As a participant in the Partnership, the United States will act consistently with our domestic legal framework, including the Constitutional protections for speech and association under the First Amendment and from unreasonable searches under the Fourth Amendment. We note that our joining the Partnership does not constitute an endorsement of the Declaration on Information and Democracy.

We will continue to collaborate with other governments and online service providers on a voluntary basis to support their efforts to counter disinformation online while respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. We note the responsibility of technology companies to respect human rights, including freedom of expression, and the importance of transparency and equal treatment with regard to the application of their terms of service. We equally note the critical role of civil society in their engagement on these efforts.

We welcome the important momentum that the International Partnership for Information and Democracy has generated and look forward to continuing our work with government, technology sector partners, civil society, and other relevant stakeholders to mitigate the exploitation of the Internet while ensuring it remains open, free, global, interoperable, reliable, and secure.