People read the Internet Health Report for many reasons, but one of the most important is to discover “what can be done” to make the internet healthier.

This simple finding is the result of dozens of interviews we conducted with readers and contributors about their needs and wants since we published the 2019 report in April.

We’re happy to say that exploring ‘“what can be done” will now be the Internet Health Report’s main purpose.

Worldwide, we’re flooded with bad news about the internet but have few places to turn for clarity about the root causes and possible solutions. Where we previously emphasized measurements of the health of the internet, we will now foreground products, technology, research, governance, activism, and community leadership that could be supported or replicated for positive impact. Our stories will continue to reflect the Mozilla Foundation’s focus on trustworthy AI, and internet health more broadly.

Three other things will be different in 2019/2020:

  1. For the first time, we will publish content year round leading up to an annual report. We will experiment with new formats, distribution and measurement strategies. Our first short publication will be a companion to the new *Privacy Not Included Buyer’s Guide, coming in November 2019.
  2. In 2020, we will shift our publication cycle so the annual Internet Health Report will align in timing and messaging with Mozilla’s annual festival Mozfest. We’re excited about launching the next annual report in partnership with the Mozfest community.
  3. Finally, we will dedicate more effort to working ‘in the open,’ sharing more updates of progress throughout the year thereby making it easier to engage with us. Stay tuned for another public call for input later this year, which will help to identify topics of interest and concern.

Why we’re shifting focus

The Internet Health Report has earned praise for its accessible language, wide breadth of issues, narrative storytelling, elegant design, and expansive worldview. It has been instrumental in exploring and articulating what it means for the internet to be ‘healthy’ from year to year.

But we’ve also learned over three reports (2017, 2018, 2019) just how hard it is to “measure” the state of the internet through a series of indicators as we originally set out to do. So many of the issues people worry about the most are not easily quantified in metrics. Even within a single country, the experience and quality of the internet can differ enormously depending on who you are.

By focusing on solutions, we can better surface the promising approaches of big and small communities worldwide, and keep envisioning a healthier internet together.

We’d love to hear your response to any of the above: tweet @ us or send us an email. Does a sharper focus on “solutions” satisfy your needs? Are there other ideas for the next version of the report you would like us to consider? How would like to get involved?