Breaking the Internet’s Language Barriers: i2Coalition Helps Co-Found Coalition on Digital Impact

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today marks the launch of the Coalition on Digital Impact (CODI), a groundbreaking alliance of technology leaders and advocacy organizations that aims to break down technological barriers and enable people to navigate the Internet in their native language. Founding members include Identity Digital, Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2Coalition), Internet Society, Indigenous Connectivity Institute, the American Library Association, Center for Democracy & Technology, LGBT Tech, Public Knowledge, DotAsia, auDA, /http/, eco – Association of the Internet Industry, Unicode Consortium, Digital Promise, Gransy, Blacknight Solutions, SEEDIG, and Clear Sky Connections with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) serving as a partner for the event. The global initiative was formally announced earlier today at a Universal Acceptance (UA) Day event held at the ICANN offices in Washington, DC.

Digital access has become fundamental to education, commerce, and daily life, yet only about ten languages dominate the Internet, despite the existence of roughly 7,000 languages and dialects worldwide. The imbalance in linguistic representation can marginalize communities, especially as AI becomes more integrated into daily life, speeding up linguistic homogenization at an unprecedented scale.

CODI will launch two initial projects in the coming months: 1) a multi-phase study to examine how language affects Internet access, and 2) the development of a monitoring system that showcases what apps and websites correctly recognize and accept top-level domains that are either internationalized or are more than three characters long.

“The Internet was built to connect humanity, yet millions remain excluded due to language and technology barriers,” said Ram Mohan, CODI Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer at Identity Digital. “As of 2024, 67 percent of the global population has access to the Internet ― but access is dominated by only a few languages. This undermines some core benefits of the Internet, such as economic opportunity and the free exchange of ideas, perspectives, and experiences. Our coalition believes this should not just be a feature of the Internet, but a fundamental principle.”

CODI’s approach combines education, advocacy, and awareness to address three key challenges:

• Reducing language and literacy barriers that prevent full Internet participation
• Enabling a democratic, secure infrastructure built for the future of the web, ensuring Universal Acceptance (UA) of all domain names, characters, and scripts across platforms and languages
• Advancing policies that promote digital access

The coalition will take actionable steps to support the critical work of last-step organizations advancing digital access. Key activities include:

• Curating a collection of multilingual digital tools and resources
• Conducting original research to assess the scale and impact of multilingualism on the internet
• Launching a fellowship program to connect experienced digital access experts with organizations tackling real-world challenges
• Running educational campaigns to raise awareness about the barriers to digital connectivity
• Advocating for the adoption of Universal Acceptance standards

“Technological advancements may accelerate the loss of or incapacity to use many of the world’s languages, creating yet another digital divide,” said Internet pioneer Vint Cerf, one of the “fathers of the Internet” and a key figure in developing core Internet protocols. “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.”

“The Indigenous Connectivity Institute is committed to the Coalition on Digital Impact,” said Mark Buell, Senior Advisor, Indigenous Connectivity Institute. “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.”

The coalition welcomes new members committed to advancing digital and multilingual access.

For more information about CODI or to join the coalition, visit codi.global.

About CODI
The Coalition on Digital Impact (CODI) is a global alliance working to ensure that every person can navigate the Internet in their own language. Through education, advocacy, and awareness, CODI promotes linguistic and cultural participation in online spaces, digital literacy empowerment, and Universal Access to digital technologies.