What They’re Saying: Supporters comment on the launch of the Coalition on Digital Impact

Vint Cerf, Internet Pioneer 

"Technological advancements may accelerate the loss of or incapacity to use many of the world's languages, creating yet another digital divide. Meaningful spoken and written linguistic access is necessary to realize the Internet's full potential. Absent effective action, many communities around the world will be wrongly excluded. This cannot be an acceptable outcome."

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Steve Crocker, Internet Pioneer

"While the rapid spread of the Internet has generally been beneficial for a large portion of the world's population, it has also tended to disadvantage speakers from outside the handful of dominant languages. Fortunately, advances in speech understanding and language translation now make it possible for speakers of all languages to interact with speakers of other languages. In 2021, Raj Reddy predicted, ‘In ten years a universal translator for all languages will be available for people to speak with one another in any language.’ CODI is an effort that will help bring that prediction to fruition."

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Mark Buell, Senior Advisor, Indigenous Connectivity Institute 

"The Indigenous Connectivity Institute is committed to the Coalition on Digital Impact. A multilingual internet—where Indigenous languages thrive—is essential for communities facing unreliable broadband, limited infrastructure, and cultural marginalization. Overcoming these barriers is crucial for Indigenous Peoples to fully participate in the digital world."

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George Sadowsky, Former Member, Internet Society Board of Trustees

"The Internet promises to be one of the most important developments ever for exploiting knowledge and communication to create a better world.  Yet for billions of people it is still not usable because the historical Internet was limited to language scripts not including theirs. 

The Coalition on Digital Impact’s goal is to ensure that everyone will enjoy the Internet’s benefits, regardless of language.  It’s an ambitious goal, but the tools and the processes for retrofitting the historical Internet to achieve this result now exist and can be employed to reach it.  CODI’s work should be lauded and supported by everyone who believes that the Internet should benefit all people of the world."


Dr. Bruce Tonkin, Chief Executive Officer, .au Domain Administration (auDA)

"We support CODI’s objective to ensure that the benefits of the Internet are accessible to all, regardless of their language, location, or circumstances. Enhanced digital access will result in better social and economic impact from the Internet for all communities, especially the underserved ones.”

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Sally Wentworth, President & CEO of the Internet Society and Internet Society Foundation

“The Internet Society is proud to support the Coalition on Digital Impact. Our commitment to connecting the unconnected and ensuring that everyone can benefit from the opportunities the Internet provides aligns with the Coalition's mission and furthers our vision that the Internet is for everyone. We look forward to working together to expand digital access to those for whom language is a barrier.”

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Toral Cowieson, CEO, Unicode

“As Unicode’s work is foundational to digital inclusion, we are pleased to support CODI’s objective to ensure that the benefits of the Internet are accessible to all, regardless of their language, location, or circumstances. Everyone in the world should be able to use their own language on all devices.”

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Michele Neylon, co-founder and CEO, Blacknight Solutions

"Blacknight endorses CODI’s work. Greater access brings good outcomes for underserved communities, and the power of language as an enabling force cannot be underestimated.”

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JudeAnne Heath, Executive Director, /http/

“In the face of ongoing obstacles to digital empowerment and rapid deployment of emerging technology, Hispanic communities continue to be impacted by the digital divide that harms education, economic growth, and American innovation. The Coalition on Digital Impact addresses a key barrier – language – by enabling web navigation in users' native languages. This mission is essential, as full participation from all communities is vital for maintaining U.S. competitiveness in the digital age."