Free internet access should be made a human right – study

Free internet access should be a human right as a world without it is now “unthinkable” because so much of daily life depends on it, a study has suggested.

Dr Merten Reglitz, associate professor of philosophy at the University of Birmingham, has published a book of his research on the issue.

It sets out a draft article declaring internet access a human right, saying everyone should be able to freely access the internet without “arbitrary interferences by any other party”, with governments providing access of sufficient quality and users protected from censorship, surveillance and private companies harvesting data.

“For most of us a world without internet access is just unthinkable,” Dr Reglitz said.

Despite the internet being a vital part of modern life, access is still unequal. This limits the ability of those who remain offline to fully enjoy other human rights that being online helps to facilitate, so states must provide citizens with the tools they need to get online

“We need it for our jobs, to maintain relationships, learn, access services, and to express ourselves – it is one of the most important parts of modern living.

“However, the internet as it currently stands is not without its problems. Some states greatly limit their populations’ digital access to limit criticism and monitor activity.

“We also have mostly unregulated social media platforms dominating the digital world and harvesting data for profit, not to mention internet users harming others online. All this infringes on our human rights including freedom of expression, privacy, and free and fair elections.

“A new human right would need to address this so that people would have a right to be protected from hostile actors online.”

In the book, entitled Free Internet Access As A Human Right, Dr Reglitz has called on governments around the world to invest in digital services, broadband infrastructure and basic digital skills to help everyone meet the basic requirements for getting online.

“Despite the internet being a vital part of modern life, access is still unequal,” he said.

“This limits the ability of those who remain offline to fully enjoy other human rights that being online helps to facilitate, so states must provide citizens with the tools they need to get online.

“These requirements might not be affordable for poorer countries, but a series of minimum core obligations would help them work towards free internet access as a human right.”

He said these obligations should include a national broadband plan, networks to connect public venues to the internet and working with international organisations to gain access to the funding needed to deliver free and fair internet.

“The values and demands included in this idea are not optional. They are necessary to the premise that everyone possesses equal moral dignity and is entitled to live a decent life which is exactly what our human rights protect,” he said.

“Today, we live in societies that are ever-more characterised by the information flows and connections made possible by the digital world.

“Recognising and defending this right would have the potential to make the world a better place for everyone, with the help of the internet.”