Posted on 06/08/2011 7:48:29 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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.
(Excerpt) Read more at techland.time.com ...
Nice, so how much is that going to cost me?
How about access to butterscotch ice cream, a premium brand?
What about cable TV and the NFL Sunday Package?!?!
Next will be iPads for all!!!
We need to get a President and Congress in place who will leave the UN and kick them out of our country. What a bunch of irrelevant twits.
Boring!
Call me back when access to a Ferrari 599GTO is declared a ‘human right’...
The UN apparently believes that people should know of their corrupt governments, but have no means to oppose them.
Human rights shouldn't cost anything, so we should all get Internet access for FREE!!!!!
Don't you just love socialism?
And I declare the United Nations “Human Blight”.
Affordable to all. Why don’t they just come out and say the have nots wants what the haves have,socialism on the march.
Indeed. But I think all this means is that no one can regulate away your access. For example, because you’re a freeper. There’s been some attempts to license internet users.
Which is interesting, because France, a highly socialized country, has decided that penalties for some hacking include the removal of all internet access.
I wonder how this will play in Bourdoux?
I don’t think my cable company will buy that one.................
ROFL. Leave it to the U.N. to declare “internet access” a basic human right, in a world where so many people are still peeing in their drinking water.
Is this one of those God-given rights than man and woman have had for 5000 years. You know, like the right to abortion? The right to your own house? The right to a job? The right to be equal in every way to every body else, that is outcome-wise?
IF the UN is not too busy, I’d like to have my private island in the Caribbean’s, as is my right.
Such and such may be a human right, but there is nowhere to specify the cost that any human needs to ‘earn’ it.
What the Hell?
The right to PURCHASE Internet Access MIGHT be a Human Right. But access to the Internet it is NOT a Human Right.
Nobody has a right to ANYTHING for which someone else has to pay. That includes food, shelter, medical care, education, and Internet Access.
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