The United States is determined to maximise the free flow of information over the internet and minimise success by repressive regimes in censoring information and silencing legitimate debate in this global town hall...Fundamentally, internet freedom stems from the principles of freedom of expression enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and human rights law...Transparency — informing users about changes or restrictions on content — holds governments engaged in censorship accountable for their actions. More broadly, effective rule of law is essential when companies are asked to turn over internet user data or to block Internet information...This is an issue that transcends governments, affecting businesses, scholars, organisations, and individuals around the world...While there is much we are doing at State to promote universal principles of freedom, we urge other players, such as NGOs and especially the internet industry to take voluntary action to ensure that, as they spread the availability of the internet around the world, they also take care to minimise its abuse as a means of political repression.