From Global to Local: Building Internet Policy(ies) in a National Digital Agenda

This study examines the development and consolidation of Uruguay’s national digital agenda as a policy instrument and the normative preferences underlying this choice. It traces its roots in the post-World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) era. Using the Comparative Agendas Project (CAP) methodology, the research assesses the Uruguayan government’s attention across 20 policy sectors and over 200 subtopics from 2007 to 2025. The analysis identifies three phases of digital agenda evolution: institutionalization (2007–2010), expansion (2011–2015), and consolidation (2016–2025), reflecting the country’s adaptive strategies and alignment with international norms. Uruguay’s digital agenda stands out as an uninterrupted instrument in Latin America, reflecting state preferences for digital inclusion, a digital welfare state and an alignment with the liberal international and regional order of internet governance. This continuity underscores the role of national agencies in institutionalizing digital policies. Through extensive document analysis, this case study provides insights into national digital agendas as tools for embedding state-led normative preferences and sharing preferences with similar regional instruments, both within eLAC and the EU. Empirically the study contributes to internet policy literature by examining the role of national digital agendas in shaping multilevel governance, assessing horizontal policy instruments and advancing a digital welfare state framework.