With the right vision and leadership, Canada’s internet can remain an engine of innovation, free expression, and economic opportunity.
This article originally appeared in the Toronto Star on September 19, 2019
We’ve all been there: it might be an email, a text or a link on social media but right away something seems off about it. Should you click the link? Is it a virus? Fake news? A phishing attempt? Or just your uncle sending you another meme? The longer your finger hovers over the link the more anxious you feel.
It doesn’t have to be this way. With Canada’s federal election underway, we have a golden opportunity for candidates from across the political spectrum to commit to pro-internet principles that will help restore trust online.
Canadians love the internet. While the dark side of the web fills the headlines, there’s no doubt that we’re better off because of it. It has transformed our society in ways we could never have imagined — it connects us, entertains us, employs us — but, let’s face it: the internet is going through a bit of a rough patch right now.
Byron Holland (MBA, ICD.D) is the president and CEO of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), the national not-for-profit best known for managing the .CA domain and developing new cybersecurity, DNS, and registry services.
Byron is an expert in internet governance and a seasoned entrepreneur. Under Byron’s leadership, CIRA has become one of the leading ccTLDs in the world, with over 3 million domains under management. Over the past decade, he has represented CIRA internationally and held numerous leadership positions within ICANN. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for TORIX, and is a member of the nominations committee for ARIN. He lives in Ottawa with his wife, two sons, and their Australian shepherd, Marley.
The views expressed in this blog are Byron’s opinions on internet-related issues, and are not necessarily those of the organization.
