By Ezekiel Rochmis

Abstract: As the internet has become increasingly pervasive worldwide, autocratic regimes have taken measures to restrict their citizens’ access to the web. Interestingly, these crackdowns have been predominantly conducted unilaterally by states, despite the internet being a global platform with shared content. This raises questions as to why states would opt for independent content moderation rather than engaging in multilateral digital governance. Drawing on shared burden and state sovereignty literature, particularly digital state sovereignty, this paper argues that states should be more willing to participate in multilateral digital governance to protect their economic interests and sovereignty. The study outlines a novel approach to evaluate two conditions that influence states’ engagement in multilateral governance regarding the internet. Firstly, states experiencing higher levels of cyber incidents are expected to be more inclined to participate in multilateral efforts to enhance incident responses. Secondly, the degree of openness in a state’s society and internet usage is considered, as both democracies and autocracies have exhibited reluctance to engage in multilateral governance,
while mixed regimes tend to demonstrate greater openness. This paper presents a potential framework for conducting such a study and highlights possible limitations associated with the choice of methods.