More than 2,000 people who oversee the workings of the net around the world are gathering in Brazil.
Policy makers, activists and officials are gathering in Rio de Janeiro for the second Internet Governance Forum.
The UN-backed body aims to give those involved in developing policies for the net a place to air problems and hear about others have succeeded.
Sessions at the four-day forum will debate security, international domains and control of core net functions.
The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) grew out of the World Summit on the Information Society meetings which were held in 2003 and 2005.
The forum is intended to be a debating chamber that, among other things, helps to keep the UN Secretary General up to date with pressing net issues.