The internet is on the agenda.

247 – On the second day of the e-G8, a meeting of important internet figures preceding the group's summit in France, discussions focused on web freedom and copyright in the digital age, among other topics. Lawyer Lawrence Lessig, creator of the Creative Commons theory – a type of license that allows the copying and sharing of content with fewer restrictions than traditional licenses – stated during his presentation that the debate is not about whether or not copyright should be protected, but rather how it should be done in the digital age. He also criticized France's anti-downloading law – approved by the local Senate in 2009, which provides for the disconnection of resident users who download films and music without permission – stating that the measure ignores innovation. According to him, the future of the internet – the main theme of the congress – was not invited to the event, and the least the participants can do is protect this future, which is absent from the room.

The Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for the so-called Digital Agenda, Neslie Kroes, participated in the congress this Wednesday and, during her presentation, maintained her commitment that, by 2013, all European citizens will have access to the internet. The Commissioner stated that the internet requires certain rules, but that these cannot be "our small European rules limited to the European scope; they need to be global." Therefore, according to her, there is an interest in working with bodies such as the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) and the G-8 group of countries. Answering a question from a representative of the English recording industry, she stated that she is in favor of artists being paid for their work. However, she said that the current system is not ideal for this. "I believe that the technological process will point to the necessary solutions that discourage people who practice piracy," said Neslie.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg participated in a panel discussion at the event. He denied that the site will be made available to children under 13, contrary to what some media outlets have recently stated. Currently, Facebook does not allow users of all ages to register – varying by country, but generally, those under 13. Regarding the popular demonstrations organized in Arab countries mainly through Facebook, Zuckerberg stated that he believes it is an effect of the internet, and not specifically of the social network, which he considers unnecessary for the protests to occur.