We, users of the global open internet urge European politicians and institutions, EU Member States and European businesses to stop the trade in digital arms

we believe in the empowerment of individuals via the internet and technologies but also acknowledge that technologies can become powerful arms in the hands of oppressors, or when companies and governments gain unchecked power or market share;

we regret that globally opposition members, journalists, bloggers and citizens increasingly face repression through the use of technologies;

we condemn any form of mass censorship, mass surveillance, mass tracking as well as hacking into people's devices without them giving consent;

we stress that technologies used for these mass violations of digital freedoms are often custom-made and exported by European companies from within the EU;

we stress that the export of these digital arms to third countries can seriously threaten and harm the open internet as well as the human rights of citizens globally;

we regret initiatives towards the creation of national internets or intranets;

we consider the internet as a key enabler of access to information, freedom of expression and the press, freedom of assembly, economic, social, political and cultural development;

we strongly believe human rights need equal protection online as offline;

we applaud the EU's vocal support for human rights online and digital freedoms;

we urge EU Member States to give the European Commission the mandate to draft the laws and develop initiatives necessary to stop digital arms trade;

we call on the European Commission to come forward with concrete proposals, to stop the digital arms trade, and for the inclusion of stakeholders to draft relevant laws;

we urge European technological companies to develop standards to embed 'human rights by design' principles in their business operations and sign up to codes of conduct that respect human rights and promote corporate social responsibility;

we welcome the potential of global EU leadership in the defence of digital freedoms and urge the EU to take up this responsibility with greater urgency and ambition.