Survey reports internet access to be a fundamental right

Posted on 8 Mar 2010 at 16:03

A survey carried out by the BBC World Service discovered that respondents worldwide felt that internet access was a key right. 87% of internet users felt it was a 'fundamental right', while 71% of non-internet users said they should have the right to access the web.

The survey covered 27,000 people in 26 different countries. A fuller breakdown of the findings can be found here. One surprising aspect was what users valued most about the internet. The ability to find information and communicate was obvious high priorities, but very few respondents named entertainment, purchasing or content sharing.

Another interesting point is that 78% of users felt the internet had brought them 'greater freedom'; while more than half of users felt "the internet should never be regulated by any level of government anywhere". Of course this ties in well with the World Service's own reputation as a great provider of unbiased information to those living under repressive regimes.

Speaking to BBC news, Dr Hamadoun Toure (Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union) said: "Governments must regard the internet as basic infrastructure - just like roads, waste and water". We're not sure we'd trade in any of those for a broadband connection, but we do think the internet is a close second as it becomes the dominant way to find information and communicate with others.

Author: Seth Barton

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