News

Is Internet Access Now A Human Right?

By Adam Wagner, Founder and Chair 29 Jul 2016
Economic

I recorded a podcast for The Guardian on this interesting topic, along with a great range of interviewees. 

The debate has been prompted by a new non-binding UN resolution. I wrote about the issue a while ago for The Guardian.

I don’t agree with the title of the podcast. As I explain in the interview, the internet is now a gateway to many human rights – for example free speech, protest, family and private life, freedom of religion. So limiting or blocking someone’s internet access could seriously infringe on their human rights. But that is not the same as saying there is a ‘human right to internet access’.

As the Resolution says, “the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online, in particular freedom of expression, which is applicable regardless of frontiers and through any media of one’s choice”.

You can hear me through the link embedded below from about 16 and a half minutes.

Taylor Swift photo by Kai Hendry © used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic Licence

About The Author

Adam Wagner Founder and Chair

Adam is the founder and Chair of EachOther. In his day job, he is a barrister specialising in human rights law and is well known for his human rights communications work on social and mainstream media. In 2010, he set up the hugely successful UK Human Rights Blog.

Adam is the founder and Chair of EachOther. In his day job, he is a barrister specialising in human rights law and is well known for his human rights communications work on social and mainstream media. In 2010, he set up the hugely successful UK Human Rights Blog.