ABSTRACT
The chapter addresses from a polycentric perspective the global data governance of Internet interconnection, a vital mechanism for the Internet as such. Internet interconnection policies and technologies are essential for any data governance approach, but they remain marginal debates in data governance discussions. How the over 70,000 networks composing the “Internet” connect has shaped the Internet architecture since its inception. Much more than just a technical aspect, Internet interconnection controls the global flow of information and influences access to knowledge, civil liberties online, and innovation policy. In this way, the formulation and implementation of Internet interconnection policies is a central tool for doing data governance. The chapter traces how polycentric governance helps to understand what I coin as “global data governance by Internet interconnection”, dealing mainly with the role (or interconnections) of routing policies among Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) and Content Delivery Networks (CDNs).
