As one of the undersigned organizations, AfICTA - Africa ICT Alliance, believes that strong encryption is essential to the global digital economy. Encryption safeguards user privacy, protects sensitive data, and enables trust, which are foundations of commerce, communication, and innovation. Encryption is a vital tool for ensuring that consumers, businesses, and governments can confidently engage online, fostering a secure environment that supports economic growth and cross-border collaboration.
Any effort to undermine encryption, whether through backdoors, key escrow systems, or technical mandates, undermines that trust. Weakening encryption introduces systemic vulnerabilities that criminals and hostile actors can exploit, erodes consumer confidence, and drives users and businesses toward unsecure platforms. Further, inconsistent national approaches to encryption risk are fragmenting the global digital economy, creating barriers to trade and interoperability across borders.
We recognise the legitimate needs of law enforcement and national security agencies to access evidence and combat crime. However, these goals must be pursued through lawful, proportionate, and technologically sound means that do not compromise the safety and privacy of billions of consumer and enterprise users. Policymakers should strengthen, not weaken, the tools that protect our shared digital infrastructure.
By endorsing this statement, we collectively call on governments around the globe to advance policies that protect encryption as a vital enabler of digital trust and economic prosperity. All stakeholders must stand together to ensure that strong encryption remains available to establish and maintain trust across the global digital economy.
1. ACT | The App Association
2. AfICTA-Africa ICT Alliance
3. Africa Center for Education Technology and Innovation
4. Associazione Italiana Internet Provider
5. Business Software Alliance
6. Center for Democracy & Technology
7. Center for Online Safety and Liberty
8. Coalition of Services Industries (CSI)
9. Computer and Communications Industry Association
10. Comunitatea Internet Association
11. Connected Commerce Council
12. Consumer Choice Center Europe
13. Consumer Technology Association (CTA)
14. Cybersecurity Advisors Network (CyAN)
15. Danish Entrepreneurs
16. Data Rights
17. Demand Progress
18. Digital Rights Nepal (DRN)
19. Digital Rights Zimbabwe
20. Digital Transparency Lab
21. DigiTelHer
22. eco – Association of the Internet Industry
23. Engine
24. EuroISPA - European Internet Services Providers Association
25. FiCom ry
26. Global Partners Digital
27. HOUSE OF AFRICA
28. Human Rights Journalists Network Nigeria
29. Information Technology Industry Council (ITI)
30. Internet Australia
31. Internet Governance Project at Georgia Tech
32. Internet Infrastructure Coalition
33. Internet Safe Kids Africa
34. Internet Society
35. Internet Society – Brazil Chapter
36. Internet Society – Catalan Chapter
37. Internet Society – India Hyderabad Chapter
38. Internet Society – Jamaica Chapter
39. Internet Society – Mali Chapter
40. Internet Society – Paraguay Chapter
41. Internet Society – United Kingdom Chapter
42. Japan Association of New Economy
43. JCA-NET (Japan)
44. Kijiji Yeetu
45. Koneta Hub
46. LGBT Tech
47. Media Rights Agenda (MRA)
48. National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC)
49. OpenMedia
50. Pristine SACC Education and Technology Initiative
51. Privacy & Access Council of Canada
52. Restore The Fourth
53. Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
54. Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA)
55. Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.)
56. TechFreedom
57. Technology Trade Regulation Alliance (TTRA)
58. TEDIC
59. UBUNTEAM
60. US-ASEAN Business Council
61. VPN Trust Initiative
