[governance] Internet access is 'a fundamental right'

[Parminder]

  *For the rights skeptics, if they believe in people's verdict :)*


  (also enclosed full report )


  Internet access is 'a fundamental right'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8548190.stm

*Almost four in five people around the world believe that access to the 
internet is a fundamental right, a poll for the BBC World Service suggests.*

The survey - of more than 27,000 adults across 26 countries - found 
strong support for net access on both sides of the digital divide.

Countries such as Finland and Estonia have already ruled that access is 
a human right for their citizens.

International bodies such as the UN are also pushing for universal net 
access.

The right to communicate cannot be ignored," Dr Hamadoun Toure, 
secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), 
told BBC News.

"The internet is the most powerful potential source of enlightenment 
ever created."

He said that governments must "regard the internet as basic 
infrastructure - just like roads, waste and water".

"We have entered the knowledge society and everyone must have access to 
participate."

The survey, conducted by GlobeScan for the BBC, also revealed divisions 
on the question of government oversight of some aspects of the net.

Web users questioned in South Korea and Nigeria felt strongly that 
governments should never be involved in regulation of the internet. 
However, a majority of those in China and the many European countries 
disagreed.

In the UK, for example, 55% believed that there was a case for some 
government regulation of the internet.

*Rural retreat*

The finding comes as the UK government tries to push through its 
controversial Digital Economy Bill.

As well as promising to deliver universal broadband in the UK by 2012, 
the bill could also see a so-called "three strikes rule" become law.

This rule would give regulators new powers to disconnect or slow down 
the net connections of persistent illegal file-sharers. Other countries, 
such as France, are also considering similar laws.

Recently, the EU adopted an internet freedom provision, stating that any 
measures taken by member states that may affect citizen's access to or 
use of the internet "must respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of 
citizens".

In particular, it states that EU citizens are entitled to a "fair and 
impartial procedure" before any measures can be taken to limit their net 
access.

The EU is also committed to providing universal access to broadband. 
However, like many areas around the world the region is grappling with 
how to deliver high-speed net access to rural areas where the market is 
reluctant to go.

Analysts say that is a problem many countries will increasingly have to 
deal with as citizens demand access to the net.

The BBC survey found that 87% of internet users felt internet access 
should be the "fundamental right of all people".

More than 70% of non-users felt that they should have access to the net.

Overall, almost 79% of those questioned said they either strongly agreed 
or somewhat agreed with the description of the internet as a fundamental 
right - whether they currently had access or not.

*Free speech*

Countries such as Mexico, Brazil and Turkey most strongly support the 
idea of net access as a right, the survey found.

More than 90% of those surveyed in Turkey, for example, stated that 
internet access is a fundamental right - more than those in any other 
European Country.

South Korea - the most wired country on Earth - had the greatest 
majority of people (96%) who believed that net access was a fundamental 
right. Nearly all of the country's citizens already enjoy high-speed net 
access.

The survey also revealed that the internet is rapidly becoming a vital 
part of many people's lives in a diverse range of nations.

In Japan, Mexico and Russia around three-quarters of respondents said 
they could not cope without it.

Most of those questioned also said that they believed the web had a 
positive impact, with nearly four in five saying it had brought them 
greater freedom.

However, many web users also expressed concerns. The dangers of fraud, 
the ease of access to violent and explicit content and worries over 
privacy were the most concerning aspects for those questioned.

A majority of users in Japan, South Korea and Germany felt that they 
could not express their opinions safely online, although in Nigeria, 
India and Ghana there was much more confidence about speaking out.



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