[governance] Cerfing the Web, or Serfing the Web? (Understanding Google's Internet Evangelism against Internet Access Rights)

[McTim]

On 1/17/12, parminder <parminder at itforchange.net> wrote:
> Hi All
>
<snip>
> Two (very different) kinds of people have opposed terming access to the
> Internet as a human right. One category is of tech/ Internet-enthusiast
> who otherwise argue so much about how the Internet has fundamentally
> transformed the world and so on. The other kind are among those who work
> with issues of devleopment and poverty and find it a bit far-fetched to
> speak of the Internet as a right given the present socio-economic
> scenario they witness around them. It is very important to see that the
> 'objections' of these two groups are of a /very /different nature.
>
> I think Internet should be seen as a right, but I have sympathies for
> the views of the second group above, because I can understand why they
> think as they do. They see people around them deprived of such basic
> things that to them it looks almost a bit insensitive to speak of the
> Internet as a right. However, they have perhaps not given much deep
> thought to how the Internet is fundamentally and structurally
> transforming social relationship, in a manner that impacts all, whether
> on the Internet or not. However, as I said, I do sympathise with this
> group of people, and the reason why they are averse to talking about a
> right to the internet.

I see myself in both groups (although I don't talk much about the
transformative power of the Internet IMO) and I have been softening a
bit lately about the whole Internet as a human right thingy.

Mainly, my opposition to the notion is that I fear creeping
intergovernmentalism.  We see multiple examples of governments trying
to control various aspects of the Internet, and frankly I don't
particularly appreciate it.  If we had a UN Summit (again) to declare
Internet a Human Right, I fear such a Summit would go much further
towards the IBSA model than would be useful.  In addition, I have
always felt that Internet comes under the rubric of communication,
which we already have as a HR.

-- 
Cheers,

McTim
"A name indicates what we seek. An address indicates where it is. A
route indicates how we get there."  Jon Postel
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