Survey: Internet Access a Fundamental Right
Survey: Internet Access a Fundamental Right
Posted 03/08/2010 at 6:40am
| by Paul Lilly
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Quick question: Is Web access a fundamental right or a privilege? If you think the Internet is a fundamental right, then you're in the clear majority, according to a new global survey conducted for the BBC World Service.
In a poll of 27,000 adults spread out through 26 countries, four out of five respondents described Web access as a right, and that number was even higher in South Korea and China. About 78 percent of respondents said the Internet gave them greater freedom, while half said the Web should never be regulated.
At the same time, some 65 percent of respondents in Japans said they didn't feel safe expressing their opinions online, a sentiment shared by pollsters living in South Korea, France, Germany, and China.
Other areas of concern include fraud, violent and explicit content, and threats to privacy, but none of these diminished the overall feeling.
"Despite worries about privacy and fraud, people around the world see access to the Internet as their fundamental right," said Doug Miller, the chairman of GlobeScan which conducted the survey. "They think the Web is a force for good, and most don't want governments to regulate it."
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Jims45wow
March 08, 2010 at 12:14pm
Sure. If you mean "OK to access".
If there is more meant than that, we must compare to what we are more familiar with:
- Do you have a right to get newspapers for free free? Every newspaper? Free storage for them? Free ads in them?
- Free postage? Stationary? Address Labels?
- Free telephone service? How many minutes are guaranteed? Wireless? What model of phone?
- Free TV's? Color or B/W? Remotes? How big? Picture-in-Picture? (Because you might miss something without that feature....
This type of reasoning upholds the rights found in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and makes apparent the silliness of other claims to "Rights".
Be Free!
Jim
lunchbox73
March 08, 2010 at 12:45pm
Well put. Too many people think they have all sorts of "rights" and think the world revolves around them. Just like the dopes in our country (USA) who think free healthcare should be a "right."
opticallog
March 08, 2010 at 11:23am
I just think it's funny and sad that people think that you can have a "right" to something that places an obligation on someone else's private property.
EyesSewnShut
March 08, 2010 at 11:22am
It's amazing how people from other countries like to generalize ALL Americans based on one American's opinion.
Keith E. Whisman
March 08, 2010 at 7:47am
Basic freedom of expression. It's not the internet that should be a right it's Freedom of Speech. Freedom of expression (there I stated it twice)
The 1st amendment to the US constitution. Now I don't think the Internet alone is a fundamental right. I believe that your right to expression is a god given right and no government has a right to infringe on that. Yeah I mean you China you asshole.
So really people are getting the internet mixed up. The internet is only a means to your right to freedom of expression so in an of itself it's not a right and you don't need to have a special right to it as it's already part of the 1st amendment your freedom of expression. So the question do you have a right to access the web is automatic of course because it's a means to exercising your 1st amendment right.
What good is having a right to Web Access without freedom of expression? What is the purpose then to express yourself like I'm doing? I guess in China you can have the internet but you better not express yourself because the state is reading what you type and will arrest you if you say the wrong thing. So see what you get without freedom of expression and a right to the web is a constant threat from your government of imprisonment.
So give your people freedom to express themselves first and then ask if they have a right to the internet.
Neufeldt2002
March 08, 2010 at 8:53am
It's amazing how americans think the world revolves around their constitution. Countries, such as the one I live in has our own constitution, do not force yours on me, I do NOT want it. Internet is a privilage that one pays for, you have a right to pay for it, or not, nothing more.
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Keith E. Whisman
March 08, 2010 at 1:37pm
Perhaps I wasn't clear enough. What I'm trying to say as a proud american and a Republican I believe that you have a right to express yourself. You have the right to access the internet. How you do it is another story altogether. I don't believe you have a right to free internet. I believe that you have the right to access the web weather it be free or paid for.
And I well realize there are people out there that hate the USA and I'm fine with that until they attack us. And guess who are the dumb asses that respond to disasters around the world the quickest it's us, the USA. And the victims are usually extremely ungrateful.
I wasn't trying to force the US constitution on anyone. I was basing my opinion on the US constitution and I might ad that most countries that have freedoms built into their constitutions are inspired by the US constitution.
ssbowers
March 08, 2010 at 9:23am
The survey was from the BBC, which is British, and they polled multiple countries. It's amazing how people from your country are dumbasses.
Neufeldt2002
March 08, 2010 at 9:53am
Maybe you didn't read what I was commenting on. Yes, my bum is dumb, but at least my head isn't.
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I wanted a signature, but all I got was this ________
ssbowers
March 08, 2010 at 10:15am
I'm just cranky it's Monday morning. I know it's dumb to argue on the Internets!
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