The Democratic Principles for an Open Internet have been primarily designed for citizens and civil society organizations in fragile and emerging democracies, who are new to the digital rights space, are beginning to engage more regularly online, and who may be more likely to encounter deliberate internet disruptions as a result of government interference.

These principles are a grassroots effort to adapt the Internet Rights & Principles Coalition's 10 Internet Rights and Principles from a democratic lens to empower and improve the digital rights literacy of activists and civil society organizations in the Global South.

We hope this guide will help activists working for democracy in an internet age and connect them in global peer networks to exchange best practices. The guide also serves as an advocacy tool that organizations can utilize in pushing governments, the private sector, and civil society to adhere to universal human rights through open internet principles and standards.