OpenNet Initiative

Business Profile

Core Value Proposition

OpenNet Initiative provides research and data on Internet filtering and surveillance, and promotes public dialogue about online censorship practices.

Target Customer

Researchers, policymakers, journalists, advocacy groups, educators, and NGOs interested in Internet censorship, surveillance, and Internet governance.

Key Differentiator

A collaborative, multi-institution research initiative combining technical testing with local expert country profiles; publishes freely accessible data and reports under Creative Commons, and offers country/regional maps and books.

Implementation Timeline

ONI publishes findings as part of ongoing research; initial testing and country/regional reports describe the process, with periodic data releases (e.g., data updated around September 20, 2013).

Pain Points

1Lack of credible, transparent information on global Internet filtering and surveillance.
2Need for publicly accessible data and analyses to inform policy and advocacy.
3Need for standardized methodologies to study filtering and its consequences.

Key Features

1Technical enumeration tools and methodologies for testing Internet filtering.
2Country profiles and regional overviews summarizing findings.
3Public data releases (ONI Data) under Creative Commons license.
4Filtering maps and social media filtering maps.
5Books and reports: Access Denied, Access Controlled, Access Contested; Year in Review.

Target Customer Industries

Decision Makers

1Director
2Faculty Co-Director
3CEO and Principal
4Professor
5Principal Investigator
6Co-Founder

Client Results

1Publicly accessible data on Internet filtering and surveillance (CSV data, readme, license).
2Country and regional profiles summarizing ONI research findings.
3Edited volumes and reports documenting trends in Internet control (Access Denied, Access Controlled, Access Contested).
4Annual Year in Review of filtering, surveillance, and information warfare.

Competitive Advantages

1Independent, non-partisan collaboration among leading institutions (Citizen Lab, Harvard Berkman Center, SecDev Group).
2Combination of technical testing with local country expertise and region-wide coverage.
3Open, CC-licensed data and freely accessible reports and maps.
4Transparency about methodology and testing across multiple locations and time periods.

Key Benefits

1Credible, non-partisan research on Internet filtering and surveillance.

2Publicly available data and analyses to inform policy and advocacy.

3Global and regional perspectives with methodological transparency.

4Ongoing updates through reports, maps, and publications.

Additional Product Information

Product Description

Research initiative that identifies, documents, and analyzes Internet filtering and surveillance practices worldwide; provides data, country/regional profiles, and publications to inform policy and public dialogue.

Target Market

Researchers, policymakers, journalists, educators, and advocacy groups focused on Internet freedom, censorship, and governance.

Unique Value Proposition

A trusted, collaborative, multi-institution research effort delivering transparent testing, global coverage, and open data on Internet censorship and surveillance.

Technical Requirements

Not publicly specified in content.

Pricing Model

Free access to reports and data under Creative Commons license.

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