UN Declares Internet Access a Human Right

[Acturus]

http://techland.time.com/2011/06/07/...a-human-right/

United Nations Report Declares Internet Access a Human Right
By Jenny Wilson on June 7, 2011

A United Nations report released Friday declares Internet access a human right. Presented to the General Assembly, the report by UN Special Rapporteur Frank La Rue states that, "the Internet has become a key means by which individuals can exercise their right to freedom and expression."

As LaRue highlighted, Internet access can be particularly valuable during times of political unrest, as evidenced in the Arab Spring uprisings. LaRue emphasized the power of the Internet as a communication medium and said in his report that, "given that the Internet has become an indispensable tool for realizing a range of human rights, combating inequality, and accelerating development and human progress, ensuring universal access to the Internet should be a priority for all states."

LaRue explains that because "vast potential and benefits of the Internet are rooted in its unique characteristics," powerful governments often try to block Internet access in an effort to restrict mobilization. He says that, instead, governments should strive, "to make the Internet widely available, accessible and affordable to all."

LaRue concludes his report by calling on states to ensure that individuals can have online anonymity, can adopt privacy and data protection laws, and can decriminalize defamation.

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I'm not really familiar with what the UN actually has the power to do, but the intertubez guy in me thinks this is pretty neat.

[test123]

damn it, you have no right to education, health care or internet for that matter. It's a privilege.

You do have right to life, liberty and that third thing :D

[Kuya]

A right is whatever people decide it is.

[Zoolander]

damn it, you have no right to education, health care or internet for that matter. It's a privilege.

You do have right to life, liberty and that third thing :D

Your "don't know wtf I'm talking about" is showing, you should cover it up. Its scaring the Kuyas.

Nice to see it codified since the new thing for dictators seems to be shutting it off. Not really going to change much of anything, and I can't figure out where exactly they tossed it...I would imagine into a new statute in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but i forget how adding shit works or if its even feasible since thats something states sign onto. I guess just added to the list of things the ICC and/or criminal tribunals can prosecute?

Edit: and what you just listed are inalienable rights, which are a part of the UDHR. Bonus points if you know what the third is...and its not the pursuit of happiness.

[Sqwunk]

Property?

[Enedin]

This publicy opens the way to a free-for-all, global and accessible everywhere network, for which we pay taxes instead of paying our ISPs. I like this.

[pahnphoenix]

damn it, you have no right to education, health care or internet for that matter. It's a privilege.

You do have right to life, liberty and that third thing :D

this is just another way of saying the first list is rights for the elite, while the rest of the scum on the earth don't deserve anything. if you actually believe it, you are a worthless piece of shit.

edit: p.s. internet access just as much a right as geographical mobility and other things that really need to be recognized as rights for the safety of everyone. also, amount we have to pay for the tiny ass speed and bandwidth we're allowed in USA is ridiculous.

[Mazmaz]

You think US is bad, look at Canada.

[Cantih]

damn it, you have no right to education, health care or internet for that matter. It's a privilege.

bzzzzt, WRONG

[Conrad]

I'm not really familiar with what the UN actually has the power to do

nothing

[Kuya]

The UN has the power to make certain actions not seem like blatant power grabs by the powers that be. It's also a good medium to organize things.

[Conrad]

It's also a good medium to organize things.

so that the things can be ignored

[Kuya]

Well, whether or not it will be ignored depends on a lot of things. It depends if the strongest nations pay it any attention, for example. But that's not always case, you might get developped nations on one side, and developping nations on the other. Whether anyone pays attention to what the UN says varies.

[Conrad]

Why won't you let me be cynical about global governance, kuya

[Kuya]

Because i haven't been paying attention to the Israel-US-Palestine-UN thing lately.

[solanis]

you just want an excuse to hate jews kuya

[Psion]

This publicy opens the way to a free-for-all, global and accessible everywhere network, for which we pay taxes instead of paying our ISPs. I like this.

Only problem is, if the government has control of the internet.... well...

Let's just say the major global powers, US included, don't exactly have the best track record.

Although I'm all for destroying comcast once and for all.

[pahnphoenix]

UN great in theory, undermined by numerous things in practice.

shouldn't surprise everyone... say there's an imperialist superpower in the world. it decides to take part in some sort of global organization of nations. it would take the same work / power / whatever to get that imperialist superpower to do something as policed by the global organization as it would if there were no such global organization.

works the same as US gov.t. say you have senators that are largely beholden to moneyed interests. supposedly, gov.t is one of the things that can keep those moneyed interests in line. but why would senators vote for that? and if "the people" had enough power (probably by organizing and taking part in various forms of direct action, usually things with economic consequences) to stop those moneyed interests from swaying the actions of senators, why would "the people" need the senators to protect them from the moneyed interests in the first place?

if certain conditions are met, various organizations (local gov.t, federal gov.t, UN) make sense, but when those conditions are not met, people often wish for the organization itself to give rise to those conditions. this is something that, simply, will never happen.

[test123]

If you can't steal from your neighbour then you should not be allowed to get the government to do it for you.

If I own two computers connected in a network then you have no "right" to lay a cable over my lawn into my house and connect to my network(internet).

[Kuya]

You're an idiot