[governance] Internet access is 'a fundamental right'

[Keerti Nagappa]

Great! Thanks for sharing the report.

On 8 March 2010 08:50, Parminder <parminder at itforchange.net> wrote:

>  *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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