Internet Society

The Internet Society (ISOC) is an international nonprofit organization. Its mission is to "promote the open development, evolution and use of the internet for the benefit of all people throughout the world." To accomplish this, ISOC focuses on internet standards development, educational initiatives and technically sound policy formation.

In 2002, ISOC created Public Interest Registry (PIR), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation to manage, enhance and expand the .ORG domain. Sharing common goals, the .ORG registry provides considerable financial and advocacy support to ISOC in its efforts to address privacy and security issues and improve internet access around the world.

Internet Society Programs

The Internet Society (ISOC) is involved in a variety of initiatives that influence the operation and use of the Internet. Current programs focus on interconnectivity and standards development, industry self-governance, legal defense of the Internet, e-commerce, protection against excessive regulation, security, and child safety online.

One of ISOC's primary areas of focus is training a wide variety of people on how to use the Internet. ISOC's education programs reach out to everyone from K-12 students and teachers to engineers in developing countries. Like ISOC - its founding organization - .ORG is committed to improving Internet access around the world, and we provide funding for several ISOC programs that broaden technical skills and help develop professionals who can work together to expand the Internet's capacity.

For more information about ISOC and how to become a member, visit http://www.isoc.org/.