As the Internet continues to increase in influence in commerce, education and politics, the sweeping changes it is making are challenging incumbent institutions and policies. The constitutive moment in which we find ourselves is one which comes once a generation as new communicative technologies take hold. But if one thing has become clear to me while reading the history of former revolutions in communications, it is that technological progress and development is not determined; political decisions will influence the future of communications just as much as ones of technology.

Public Knowledge is a D.C.-based organization which works to protect individual rights in the digital world. They do amazing work to promote balanced intellectual property law, net neutrality, open access and a host of other issues which require an intimate knowledge of both law and code. In a post today, they make an important point: the online environment is under fire from forces who would shape it in their distorted image. “Make no mistake. The Net’s Roots are under as much stress and attack as is the real-world environment. The glaciers cracking and the ozone layer growing and temperatures rising in the real world all have their equivalent in the online environment.” I don’t think it is a coincidence that some of the brightest minds pondering the Internet are recognizing the parallels between the environmental movement and the movement for an open net; just last week I wrote about Ronald Deibert’s similar essay calling for a defense of the global communications environment.

Are we, then, making the political choices which enable the desired future? Forget about politics as it is practiced (though that is important). Instead, think about it as the affairs of power. Will we empower all or few? Will creativity, expression and action in a digital world be open equally to all or will political choices limit our future before we even recognize it?

If anyone understands the threat to an open digital future, it is the folks at Public Knowledge who mention net neutrality, privacy, broadband limitations and draconian copyright. I would add internet censorship and the digital divide as problems which need to be overcome. These challenges have been fought for years now, but the battle remains uphill. Take a moment to donate to the EFF and PK to enable them to enable us all.