[2] Its stated purpose is to "publicly recognize a distinguished and select group of visionaries, leaders and luminaries who have made significant contributions to the development and advancement of the global Internet".

[3] In 2012, there were 33 inaugural inductees into the Hall of Fame, announced on April 23, 2012, at the Internet Society's Global INET conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

[7][8] The ceremony was originally to be held in Istanbul, but the venue was changed due to the ongoing government protests in Turkey.

[10] There were no inductees in 2015 or 2016, while the ISOC worked to create an Advisory Board to provide leadership on the program's direction.

[12] On September 27, 2019, 11 new members were inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in a ceremony in San Jose, Costa Rica.