A Proposal for Digital Public Infrastructure
The People's Internet is a voluntary civic commons: transparent, surveillance-free, and structurally incapable of corporate capture. A digital public park for the 21st century.
The Problem
Access to safe, reliable digital space is no longer a convenience — it is essential for employment, education, and democratic participation. Yet the dominant commercial model produces systemic harm, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable.
"Just as a city resident might choose a public park over a shopping mall, citizens may choose this space alongside or instead of the commercial internet."
The Core Insight
Modern cities zone land for commercial, residential, and public use. This proposal creates a distinct digital zone — publicly owned, publicly governed, and structurally incapable of commercial capture.
Citizens navigate between zones by informed choice, not mandate. No one is compelled to use the People's Internet. It simply exists — as roads, parks, and libraries exist — for those who choose it.
The key insight: rather than regulating the commercial internet into compliance, this proposal builds an alternative governed by entirely different structural rules.
Citizens choose their zone freely.
Foundational Principles
These are not regulations that can be quietly amended. They are architectural features — structural properties of the infrastructure itself.
Every page must display clear, human-readable rules explaining what is shown, how it functions, and why. All underlying code is open to public audit. Hidden algorithms and black-box recommendation systems are structurally prohibited.
Only data strictly necessary for basic function may be collected. Surveillance-grade collection and marketing analytics are prohibited. Citizens retain sovereign ownership of their digital footprint. Data minimization is a constitutional feature, not a policy aspiration.
Corporations are explicitly barred from hosting or operating within this infrastructure. This single structural rule eliminates the primary vector for regulatory capture, lobbying, and commercialization. The space remains genuinely public by design.
No citizen is compelled to use the People's Internet. It coexists with the commercial internet, available to those who choose it. Individual freedom is respected while a meaningful structural alternative is provided.
Technical Feasibility
This proposal requires no technological invention. The infrastructure exists, is proven, and is affordable at scale.
Why Now
AI displacement has eliminated large numbers of private-sector network administration positions. The People's Internet converts this displacement into a public asset: skilled workers become civil servants maintaining essential public digital infrastructure — mirroring road crews, water system operators, and public library staff.
Algorithmic manipulation, surveillance capitalism, and predatory design targeting children impose measurable social costs. A safe, transparent digital zone is as fundamental a public safety necessity as clean water, safe streets, and regulated food systems. The costs of inaction are not zero.
The People's Internet generates measurable societal returns: reduced manipulation-driven radicalization, lower mental health strain, stronger digital literacy, and enhanced civic cohesion — making this not merely a moral imperative but a sound public investment.
Governance
AI-assisted auditing verifies compliance continuously. Human oversight bodies handle ethical determinations. All findings and decisions are published and publicly accessible.
The People's Internet regulates process, not content. Sites meet transparency standards regardless of viewpoint. Procedural rules govern how information is presented — not what may be said.
Basic federal funding ensures minimum viability in every state. States pool resources for shared infrastructure. No profit motive means no structural pressure toward commercialization.
A middle school curriculum teaches the logic of transparent systems, the ethics of data and consent, and digital civic participation. This is not a technology curriculum — it is civics for the digital age.
Implementation
A phased rollout allows iterative refinement and democratic accountability before further expansion.
The infrastructure exists. The workforce exists. The social necessity is documented.
What remains is the political decision to act.
Take Action
The People's Internet advances through coalition. Here's how to help.
Read the full policy brief and contact your state representative about a Phase 1 pilot.
Download BriefAdvocate for the middle school digital civics curriculum in your school district.
Learn MoreRead the technical addendum on IPv6 and mesh networking. Contribute to open-source standards. Displaced network admins: civil service positions await.
Read the AddendumDigital rights orgs, library associations, teacher unions — join the coalition.
Join Coalition