Independence Day and the Internet as a Basic Human Right
July 4, 2009
I read a couple of weeks ago a short item in the Hindu here. The article’s title gave me pause: “Internet Access Is a Fundamental Human Right”. The story asserted:
The Internet has become such a part of today’s life, that it is now considered a necessity rather than a luxury. And, now a French court has ruled that access to the world wide web is a fundamental human right. “Under the Declaration of 1789 (founding principles of the Republic set down after the French Revolution), every man is presumed innocent until proven guilty. “The Internet is a fundamental human right that cannot be taken away by anything other than a court of law, only when guilt has been established there,” the Constitutional Council in France has ruled.
Several comments:
- How will this right be fulfilled in such places as Soweto and similar infrastructure starved regions?
- Has the Internet become synonymous with communication, leaving its technology roots behind as unnecessary baggage?
- Will the leaders of countries eager to have hardware limit access to knowledge separate the “right of access” from the accuracy, completeness, and quality of the information available?
The addled goose struggles with politics and law. Hopefully the French will provide some exemplary implementations. I can think of a couple of areas in Marseille where a demo would be useful.
Stephen Arnold, July 4, 2009
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