The Institutional Standards Factory

Standards, although often perceived as restrictive, are indispensable: without them, chaos and inefficiency prevail. This book traces the long history of standardization, first focusing on the period from antiquity to the 19th century – a foundational era for major international standardization bodies, such as those in telegraphy and electricity, which developed methods that later became universal. The two World Wars then led to the creation of national organizations, federated around the ISA, the predecessor of ISO. From the 1960s onward, Internet pioneers established standardization procedures negotiated within consortiums. However, the open digital space was quickly appropriated by its sponsors (GAFAM, etc.), which "capture" data and globalize disinformation. In response, the international standardization community has developed new digital standards – notably Privacy by Design – to restore secure and rational networks. The Institutional Standards Factory highlights how rethinking standardization can help restore technological and digital harmony. The growing interaction between standardization and legislative development, analyzed here, is fully part of this dynamic.