Mozilla and Internet Freedom Foundation Join Global Encryption Coalition Steering Committee

The Global Encryption Coalition (GEC) is proud to announce that Mozilla Corporation (Mozilla) and the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) are joining the Coalition’s Steering Committee, alongside the three founding members – the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), Global Partners Digital (GPD), and the Internet Society (ISOC).

This expansion of the Coalition’s Steering Committee comes as the GEC membership has grown to more than 330 members in 99 countries – and as encryption increasingly comes under threat in more and more countries around the world. The expansion will make Steering Committee membership more reflective of the diversity of the GEC membership, and increase the capability of the Steering Committee to respond rapidly to emerging threats to encryption and assist its members in doing likewise.

Mozilla
Mozilla is a global community of contributors and developers who work together to keep the internet open and accessible for all. As a mission-driven technology company backed by a non-profit foundation, it is dedicated to putting people in control of their online experience. This includes the open-source Firefox web browser, the Pocket “read-it-later” application, and other products and services that collectively are used by hundreds of millions of individuals around the world. Udbhav Tiwari, Mozilla’s Head of Global Product Policy, will represent the organisation on the Steering Committee. Mr. Tiwari said:

“The Global Encryption Coalition plays an integral role in coordinating the effort to defend privacy and security online, values that lie at the core of Mozilla and our Manifesto. We are excited to join the other stellar members of the GEC’s Steering Committee and look forward to helping expand the Coalition’s work in more global contexts via our community, advocacy, and public policy efforts.”

Internet Freedom Foundation
The Internet Freedom Foundation is an Indian digital liberties organization that seeks to ensure that Indian citizens can use the Internet with liberties guaranteed by the country’s Constitution and that the applications of technology respect their fundamental rights. It has focused on multiple attacks on encryption in India through its work on privacy and surveillance issues. IFF Policy Director Prateek Waghre will represent the IFF on the Steering Committee. Mr. Waghre said:

“Nearly three years in, the work of the Global Encryption Coalition is as important as it has ever been. Many regulatory efforts seeking to/claiming to protect people on the internet are at the risk of adopting approaches that weaken encryption which would, in effect, make users more vulnerable to surveillance and their communications less safe. At this crucial juncture, the Internet Freedom Foundation is looking forward to collaborating with the three founding members of the GEC – CDT, GPD and ISOC, Mozilla, as well as global members of the coalition to promote and defend encryption.”

The founding members of the Coalition welcome Mozilla and IFF to the GEC Steering Committee and look forward to harnessing the energy they will bring to its encryption advocacy.

The GEC will celebrate its 3-year anniversary on May 15, 2023.