High-speed human right?

High-speed human right?

Eva Fernandes thinks that the question of internet being a basic human right is irrelevant for people who don’t even have access to a computer.

March 21, 2011 1:14 by Eva Fernandes

Consider that less than 29 percent of the 6 billion people in the world have internet access; and that in Africa, less than seven percent of the population has access to the internet, making Africa account for just up to four percent of the worldwide internet usage.

Consider also the basic criteria set out by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states no human to ever be subject to “slavery or servitude, torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” …Or how about access to clean drinking water and medicine?

Though relative and human rights are not often seen together in discourse, when it comes to questions about the internet I think it is rather, well, relevant. Of course internet access should be granted to all, but in light of larger and more life-threatening issues, it is just plain irrelevant.

What do you think? Is internet access a basic human right? Or do you think that people who argue thusly are missing the point about ‘basic’ rights?

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Tags: human rights internet access, internet access, internet access human right, internet access worldwide, reuters CEO internet access

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1 Comment

MK on March 22, 2011 11:42 am

Well put…as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words! And there are people who do not even have access to safe drinking water and are dying of hunger. Sure, wide access to internet is plausible, but let’s be realistic and tryt to fix a few other major problems first beforing fighting about our online rights!