Guests at eG8 digital forum including chiefs of Facebook, Google and eBay are told that 'total global revolution' achieved by net must not replace traditional democracy

This article is more than 9 years old

This article is more than 9 years old

Nicolas Sarkozy opened what he described as a historic conference on the internet and the future of the "digital ecosystem" in Paris on Tuesday on the eve of the G8 summit.

The French president said it was a unique chance for the main players in the development of information and communication technologies to come together with leaders of state and hoped it could become an annual event.

"In this way we can know what you are doing … and you can know what we think," Sarkozy told the eG8 forum.

"We need to talk to you. We need to understand your expertise, your hopes … and you have to know our limits and our red lines."

Around 1,500 guests have been invited to the forum. Among the VIPs were Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google, Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, John Donahoe, president of eBay, and Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook.

The theme of the two-day forum is The Internet: Accelerating Growth. Sarkozy said its conclusions would be communicated to heads of state at the G8 economic forum taking place in Deauville, France on Thursday and Friday.

"Yesterday's dreams have become realities, and the universe of possibilities grows broader around us every day," he said.

"Democracy and human rights have been reinforced, states have been incited to greater transparency and, in some countries, oppressed peoples have been empowered to make their voices heard and to act collectively in the name of freedom."

He said the internet had been a revolution that had changed people's perception of time, of the world and history.

"You have changed the world … it has been a total global revolution. What has been unique in this revolution is that it belongs to nobody; it has no flag, no slogan, it is a common good.

"What is also unique about this revolution is that it was done without violence. It was not fought on battlefields but on university campuses."

However, Sarkozy warned the internet could not be allowed to become a "parallel universe" or a replacement for traditional democracy.

"You have given every individual the chance to be heard everywhere by anyone. People have never had this chance before in history, but that right cannot be held by destroying the rights of others.

"Total transparency has to be balanced by individual liberty. Do not forget that every anonymous internet user comes from a society and has a life."

He added: "Governments are the legitimate guardians of our societies and do not forget this."

He said leaders of state had to learn how the internet could be used "to reinforce democracy, social dialogue and solidarity" and to create a "more efficient state". However, he said, "we have to make sure that the universe that you are responsible for is not a parallel universe outside laws and morals".

Among the issues to be addressed, he said, were privacy, the protection of children from the "turpitude of certain adults", copyright and intellectual property rights.