Is Internet Access a Human Right?

Arguably, the most valuable technological achievement of the last 50 years has been the invention of the Internet. Over the last 25 years, the speed at which the Web has grown (and the speed at which it has improved) has now allowed nearly everyone to be “connected” in some form, whether via a computer or their mobile phone.

The impact this has had particularly in developing countries is breathtaking. Entire societies are skipping landlines and dial up in order to access valuable health and economic information online. But despite all this advancement and benefit, a debate still rages: Is Internet access a human right?

The United Nations, the international body that makes declarations such as these, recently announced that yes (PDF), access to the Internet is a universal human right because it has been proven to allow individuals and communities the chance to access and express other human rights, namely freedom of opinion and expression. After all, could the Arab Spring have happened without so much connectivity?

The access to valuable information is transforming societies. Rural farmers are now less likely to be cheated out of wholesale prices due to their ability to find the fair market value of their crops via their phone. And this short video shows how access to the Internet has improved an entire community:

The Guardian has a great run down with lots of links on this issue. Click here to read this informative article to wrap your head around all that’s at stake. The piece details the current debate raging over whether or not access to the Internet is an absolute human right and cites several recent court cases for examples as to how the debate is shaping up. The article concludes with:

It is highly unlikely that internet access will ever attain the status of an absolute right. However, the current position of UK courts rightly makes it very difficult indeed for the state to ban completely a citizen’s use of the internet, however strong the justification.

But what is the significance of this debate? Chiefly, if the Internet is seen as a human right around the globe, it will be less likely to be banned, shut down, and destroyed. In many countries, of course, this happens daily. In many countries where other freedoms and rights are routinely denied, declaring access to the Internet a human right may do very little to delay its banning or limiting access.

But in other, developed countries, the debate over censorship and pricing continues. Parts of the Internet are off limits or carry fines and jail time if abused. Websites can be flagged, blocked, or watched related to certain behaviors and threats. And, with the Internet being open and rapidly changing, its users want to have more of a say in how it is governed. Take a look at last week’s results from Americans taking a stand against SOPA to see how an online protest can take shape quickly.

And herein lies the difficulty. The idea of Internet access as a human right is such a new one and such a rapidly changing idea that big institutions – like governments – have a hard time keeping up. By the time they act, so much has changed that a new declaration is needed. Despite this lethargy, however, there is a real chance that by declaring Internet access a human right, more people can get and share the information needed most in order to protect other human rights. And this could be the biggest victory of all.

What do you think? Is Internet access a global human right?

Let us know below if you think more countries should declare access to the Internet an absolute human right.