Should the internet be a human right?
Human rights are legal promises that protect people’s freedom and dignity. There are 30 human rights which aim to meet every person’s basic needs.
Below are five of these rights:
- The right to think or believe whatever you want
- The right to education
- The right to be involved with your community’s arts, literature, music and sciences
- The right to employment
- The right to share opinions freely in whatever way you choose
In some parts of the world, the internet is heavily restricted. For example, in Iran, common social media platforms and information sites are blocked, which means they can’t be used by people. The government hope that this will make it harder for people to protest.
This got us thinking about how the internet is linked to human rights.
Vincent Terf
one of the pioneers of the internet said:
Tim Berners-Lee
Inventor of the the World Wide Web said:
Over to you!
- Do you think the internet should be a human right? Why or why not?
- How would limiting the internet affect people’s other human rights, like the examples above?
- How might your experience of the news be different without the internet?
Tell us your thoughts in the comments below. Don’t forget to let others know what you think by replying directly to their comment.
Comments (180)
I agree because... individuals have the right to freely express themselves. Social media is a platform where people have the opportunity to let people know how they feel about a particular issue, it is a platform where people get to be heard. I feel that the government of countries such as Iran are using the ban of social media as an avenue to suppress the opinions of their citizens which is an infringement on their right to fair hearing. Without the internet, we would not know about the things happening in the world or how to stop them, the internet has become a major part of our world today and I believe that it is here to stay.
You make some great points about humans' need and right to express themselves. This is particularly important in countries such as Iran where freedom of speech is limited. But do you think that people should have complete freedom to say what they want on social media? What about cases where what they are saying is completely wrong (disinformation) or they are using social media to incite violence? Should there be any regulations about that, or is freedom more important?
In my opinion, people should still be free to share their opinions or ideas on social media. This is because it is their basic right and freedom and concerning the issue of defamation, laws have already been made in most countries concerning false statements which may damage the reputations of individuals(i.e slander and libel) which are accompanied by due punishments.
I agree because... all human beings need a freedom of speech and in which way are people using it ,right their are some people that use the internet to post pornography videos which is a source of money to them but unknowingly living young children addicated to it leading them to rape their friends or young ones and also parents shouldn't give phones to child below the age 16 because a child in that age is able to know the dangers and outcomes of watching pornography videos so parents should be careful on what to do for their children.
Thanks for sharing your insights, you have made some good points. I notice that you've mentioned a right to 'fair hearing' and it would be great if you could talk a bit more about this: How, if at all, does this differ from a right to free speech? and how is this applied in the context of a privately owned platform that the public has access to?
Wow @resourceful_tomato I really enjoyed reading your comment and agree with everything you have said. The internet is a place for knowledge sharing and allows voices to be heard, something that should be a human right.
I agree because Because we really cannot appreciate the importance of the Internet and social networking sites in our lives, but we do not forget that we are the ones who behave well on the Internet It is a double-edged sword (it has its pros and cons), so we must always make the best use of it And what Iran is doing is a negative thing, because any person has the right to express his opinion In this way, the residents of the state will feel the comparison and the difference between them and the countries of the world, so their reaction will be to hate the state for violating one of their rights.
It doesn't necessarily have to be a right but I don't think it should be restricted either, the fact that anyone restricts the internet means they have something to hide. The restriction of the internet is an infringement on the right to share opinions freely, in my country, Nigeria the was a ban on Twitter which makes the citizens not to share their opinions freely.
Thank you for sharing an example from your country, accurate_wombat! Why might a government want to restrict people sharing opinions on social media?
Because they obviously don't want people to have their own opinions also because they don't want people attacking them via anonymous message
The government may want to restrict the speech of the people on social media for both good and bad causes. Either to advance aims such as public health, morals, orders or even national security, or on the other hand, to prevent people from expressing distaste towards unfair policies or laws by protesting, which is a method of expressing ones disapproval or objection towards something. Either ways, it is an infringement on the rights of the people.
Hi @accurate_wombat !
Why do you think the internet does not have to be a human right? would you say that there are downsides to internet access?
Yes, I believe there are downsides to internet access. In particular social media as part of the internet. Social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook have exposed the teenagers to pornographic pictures and videos. You also get to see that these see that through these social media platforms teenagers carry out cyberbullying because research shows that the percentage of cyberbullying in UK is 52.8% and this is a very big percentage. And through the social media platforms is where you find these online scammers and in my research it shows that they use fake photos, fake biographies and fake social network to make false promises and later steal you. And I can testify because there is a time my mom landed on one that sent him photos and was even promising to take her to UK. But he first told her to send her address and a particular amount of money and that when my mom went to an ICT expert and they found out that the photos weren't his and he was even in Uganda not UK. So you find that most people are scammed through these social media platforms.
But their are also very many good things about the internet. The internet is a source of knowledge where most people share their ideas and opinions. Many children around the world use the internet for learning where some of them have their lessons on ZOOM and even some have them on social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube like the time when COVID19 had just come and schools were closed we used to use the internet for learning. You also find that people hold their business meetings ZOOM and even social media platforms like Facebook and this helps them reduce the transport and preparation costs at the company. The people use the internet to market, advertise and even sell their goods. There are also some people who have prayers via some social media apps like Facebook and YouTube because some churches have their services live so that people who are far away can still be able to connect to them. The internet can also help people to communicate to people from other countries the likes of social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook where it is very easy to talk with anyone from any other continent. The internet also help people express their feelings, opinions and ideas to the whole world.
So you've got the pros and the cons of the question down, idealistic_song -- but should the internet be a human right?
Yes, the internet should be made a human right because most of the pros I above link to most of the human rights. Like a right to education since many children have been using the internet for their studies mostly in the time where most countries were in lockdown and all schools were closed children used ZOOM and other social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube to have their lessons. A right to work or employment, you find that there are most people who have online jobs where some even market, advertise and even sell their products using some of the social media platforms like Instagram and apps like JUMIA. Then there are also some businesses or companies that have their business meetings online which enables them to also connect with some of their business partners from other countries
Yes, the internet should be made a human right because most of the pros I listed above link to most of the human rights. Like a right to education since many children have been using the internet for their studies mostly in the time where most countries were in lockdown and all schools were closed, children use zoom and other social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube to have their lessons. I write work or employment, you find that there are most people who have online jobs where some even Market, advertise and sell their products using some of the social media platforms like Instagram and apps like jumia. And you find that if the internet is disconnected these people won't have money to provide food for their families and pay for the children's school fees which if affecting the right to food and education. Then they are also some other businesses and companies that have their business meetings online what's your neighbors them to also connect with some of their business partners in other countries.A right to religion whereby some people have their online prayers because some churches have some of their services on social media platforms like Facebook to connect with people who are far away. A right to opinion and expression, we all know that internet at most times is a source of knowledge many different people share their ideas. So the internet helps people to express their feelings, opinions and ideas to the whole world. So making the internet a human right is actually a way of emphasizing and simplifying for the access of the human rights to the people.
Yes not allowing the use of internet affects the other rights for example. I cannot name the amount of education and information the internet has given me, a world in which the internet is restricted simply just means a restricted world. Right to employment, using Nigeria as an example, the job opportunities in Nigeria aren't as much as the government thinks and even those that have jobs still need another source of income hence internet jobs. Using myself as an example, I would not say I am employed but I do make a certain amount of money useful to teenagers my age I answer surveys online and get money for my opinions. Even though it's not as lucrative as other jobs it helps me not to be so dependent on my parents as others my age.
Thank you for sharing, accurate_wombat. Does the internet link to any other human rights? How?
Is the Internet related to any other human rights? How? Yes, such as freedom of opinion and expression through free expression in social media, and the Internet is a platform where people have the opportunity to let people know how they feel about a particular issue, it is a platform through which people are listened to.
Why do you think that without internet the world is ristricted yet in the old or colonial times they managed to speak out and people got independence without the use of internet so it means the world without internet can actually move with people speaking out for their rights
yes there was no internet but there were few educated elites and there were rallies and rebellions it was way more disorganized so i still stand on my point that the internet is better.
since we are a bit advanced we can find means of speaking out without internet and internet comes like another alternative to express your selves but as they used to make rallies you to can make rallies or move door by door spreading the information, or pin banners to spread the information. Although it is a bit tiresome but it can work without internet, and also internet is a human want not a need so it is not a human right.
I also believe that the internet could be used for greater purposes and be helpful to many people.
I like your comment and agree with you The Internet is one of the rights of people, but as we know that everything that has its positives has its negatives, the Internet is a double-edged sword One of the most important positives of the Internet for us as students is that it helped us in distance learning under the Covid 19 pandemic, and as I said, we cannot name the amount of information that we have benefited from the Internet Also, the Internet has made our world a smaller space, as if you have someone close to you and a traveler, you can message him and see him via the Internet, but there are some people who do not appreciate the value of something and take advantage of it negatively As we can see, some people are publishing bad clips on social media just to get the title of fame
I think that the Internet should be a human right because of its many benefits, including the use of the Internet in education, the use of the Internet in communication and communication, the use of the Internet to learn about world news, and the use of the Internet for entertainment as well. Restricting the Internet on human rights will affect the spread of ignorance and anxiety about relatives outside the country, that is, it is not possible to communicate with each other and the spread of boredom. We conclude that the Internet has many benefits. Without the Internet, I cannot and no one knows what the world's news is abroad 🌏
How might people have learnt about news from other countries before they had the internet, cultured_gazelle? Might this still be possible now? Why or why not?
In some countries, like Iran and China the internet is very censored, and people can only see the news that the ruling regime wants them to see. In addition, they do not allow the use of non-approved social media. Do you think that access to social media as a part of the internet should also be a human right? Why?
Yes, access to social media as part of the internet should be a human right because there are some people who at most times are not interested to watching news on the television for them they get their news from social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter. And with social media they are also able to know other people's reactions or ideas about what is going on in the country. Some people also have their lessons via social media platforms like Facebook because during the lockdown when schools were closed there are people who got some difficulties in operating the zoom app so they also put the lessons on Facebook and YouTube for those who had difficulties. These social media platforms are also used for business meetings, some people decide to hold their business meetings on social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram so that they would reduce on the costs of transport and preparation of the meeting at the company. These same businesses use these social media platforms to advertise or market their goods. You also find that some people sell their products using those social media platforms like Instagram. Some people also attend or have their prayers through most social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube because some churches have their prayers live on those platforms.
But you also find that the social media is also bad because on social media platforms is where you find the online scammers and in my research it shows that they use fake photos, fake biographies and fake social network make false promises and later steal you. And I can testify because my mom also landed on one who sent her photos and was even promising to take her to UK but she told her to first send her address and a particular amount of money that's when my mom went to an ICT expert and they found out that the pictures they sent were not his and the person was even in Uganda not UK. So some people can be scammed from those social media platforms.
You also get to see that through the social media platforms teenagers carryout cyberbullying because my research shows that the percentage of cyberbullying in the UK is 52.8% which is carried out using these social media platforms. Teenagers are also exposed to pornographic pictures from these social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
Great points @idealistic_song! Thank you for sharing a personal example that illustrates a big downside of the internet and for explaining the cons which impact teenagers.
This is an interesting perspective. You have said that without the internet no one knows what the word's news is abroad. However, the internet is a relatively recent invention so I'm curious as to how you think news was communicated globally and people in different countries kept in touch with each other prior to the invention and public access to the internet?
You have talked about the many benefits of the internet as a reason why it should be a right. However, others may list the many negatives as a reason why it shouldn't be. What would you say to those people?
Many forms of violence are practiced against women in the world, most of them, especially in conservative countries, as a result of customs and traditions linked to the culture of society, but unfortunately the position of governments and civil society institutions, especially advocacy for women, is weak in the face of these customs and traditions.
Thank you for sharing this perspective. When we think about this in the context of the discussion on the power of the internet, I'd like to hear more about:
How do you think expanding or limiting access to the internet may affect the wellbeing and rights of women across the world? How may widespread internet access reduce or contribute to violence against women?
Hi @sensible_impression! Your comment got me thinking. You say that advocacy for women is weak - how do you think making the internet a human right might be able to help with that issue?
I agree on this issue because the Internet is a catalyst for obtaining many rights. On the Internet, people who have been deprived of their rights sushi as education and freedom can demand them and hold protests through the Internet, and they can communicate what they suffer from the robbery of rights to the outside world 🌍 also through online programs for example, when there is a war in one of the countries, here the right to safety is robbed, the news about this country is published through the Internet, so it will sympathize with this country and the other countries will restore safety to this country.
I agree because... the internet has helped a lot of people in the society through the internet people can see that a lot of people are suffering, like when they are discriminating women through the internet other women around the world will see this issue nd protest through it and it is even safer because a lot of people that comes to protest get injured but through the internet no one will be harmed
Since the death of Mahsa Amini, there have been many protests in Iran, and the President of Iran has warned them and said that he will not allow the chaos to occur, but the authorities still continue to suppress the protests that swept the country due to the death of Mahsa Amini while she was detained by the authorities, because they believe that she violated the law that requires her to cover up Her hair was veiled, and there are many who say that she died because she was beaten by security officers. The first protests took place after Mahsa's funeral, when the women came out waving their headscarves in the air. Then the women also came out from the rest of the country and cities to defy the morality police.
Hi @giving_mood, one of the Topical Talk skills is creativity. Can you use this skill to imagine how your experience of the news would be different without the internet?
The spread of news will be difficult without the Internet, because the Internet spreads news faster, and it will be difficult for us to know the news outside the country, and we will not be able to be sure of the news we hear, and a lot of time will pass before the news reaches us.
Experience on news without internet would be difficult because you will need to move around to the different places to look what is happening in the country yet with internet you can just search and it brings you the results. Then most times on news like for example some TV channels like NTV ask for people's opinions via the internet now without the internet it will be hard to know people's opinions and for those people to share their ideas about the matters.
Limitation of the internet affect people's human right. The internet is a platform where people get to express themselves, communicate with their loved ones and also get news or information about the their country and even the world. Everyone has the right or freedom to be informed, to express themselves and to communicate but all this right and freedom is restricted or violated when the internet is limited or not allowed. The internet was made to benefit everyone and I as a person I'm benefiting from it, I can't imagine being deprived from talking to my loved ones, I really love them and I use the internet to communicate and stay in touch with them.
Yes. I feel the internet should be a human right because the internet is just like a microphone. It amplifies the voice of people. Imagine a young girl standing in front of a crowd of a thousand people. She won't be heard but when she uses the microphone her voice is amplified and everyone can hear her loud and clear. It's just like that with people who are struggling to have their opinions heard in the world the internet serves as a voice to the voiceless, aid to the helpless. It helps people to gain the support they need and to make their voices heard.
This is a great analogy amazing_computer. Do you think that some opinions shared on the internet can be harmful? Should all opinions be shared?
Yes, an individual has access to the Internet and freedom of communication for expression, opinion, knowledge of other peoples' cultures, knowledge of world news and access to informationAs bad as the pandemic has been but imagine with me a crisis like this but without the Internet and what has been achieved throughout the coronavirus through access to the web, where employees have been able to work from home and keep economies afloat; Governments and others have been able to disseminate vital health informationStudents lucky to have the net remained able to keep their education intact and their dreams alive through online learning.
I don't think social media should be a right because it's something that everybody has acces to it so it dosen't need to be a right.
Could you elaborate on this? Do you think everyone has and all countries give equal rights to the internet?
Hi @enchanted_banana !
Luckily most of us have access to the internet, but what about those in Iran where the government has restricted access to social media platforms, do you think the government should be allowed to do this?
This is an interesting perspective. Many of your peers in the comments have talked about instances where social media is banned or restricted so people don't have access to it. Likewise people may not have access to social media because of lack of internet access. I'd like to know more about why you think everybody has access to social media? You have implied that because something is accessible to all it doesn't need to be a right so I'm also curious to learn more about how you think rights work and who should have access to them?
I think what "enchanted banana" meant is that. A right is like a basic need and you feel like you can't live without it but as per the internet you can easily live without out it. Did anyone ask them selves how people in the past lived yet they didn't have access to the internet. Even when people started riots and rebellions because of the colonial rule there wasn't internet but they could still speak out and be hard. That's why he says the internet shouldn't be mad a human right because it can be accessed by most people.
But as per Iran's situation where the government doesn't allow them to use the internet because they don't want the outside world to know what they are doing to their people. I suggest that the government should just stop acting childish and accept that they made a mistake and find a way to resolve the issue so that everything can go back in order and the internet will even be back on.
I am sorry to inform you but that is just incorrect, not everyone actually has access to the internet. Several countries that are in poverty have people who cannot afford the internet, and then there's countries like North Korea that completely block the internet from it's people.
i think that you are entirely incorrect do the fact that many people are in digital poverty, which is when you dont have a digital device and cant connect/ be on the internet.
Thanks for commenting @enchanted_banana. Without it being a human right, governments are able to prohibit access to the internet. So, to make sure people can access the internet it's important for governments to recognise it as a human right considering it's an extremely valuable tool for communication and learning.
I strongly agree that the Internet is a human right wherever it is. I would like to say the reason why I agreed to the right of the Internet as we all know that we have gone through difficult times because of the Corona pandemic, which made the world feel safe, but because of the presence of the Internet during these days that people went through, the Internet was the only means Through it, people can know each other's conditions and reassure their children and children in strange countries. It was also a source of support for some of the only people in life because it was a source of support for them.
It is also expected that you will have advantages for societies, including knowing the news of the world while you are sitting on your couch watching all the news of the world with a clearer accuracy
Also, through the Internet, people have renewed beautiful relationships, including friendships and others
Just as the Internet at the time of the pandemic was the main guide to educating people about the dangers of this disease.
Should the Internet be a human right? yes ; The Internet is also linked to human rights such as the right to share opinions. This is especially important in countries like Iran where freedom of expression is limited. Individuals have the right to the Internet as the right to express themselves freely in social media. It is also a platform where people have the opportunity to let people know how they feel about themselves. A particular issue, it's a platform where people are heard. For example: The Internet has a positive effect, with about four out of five people stating that it has brought them more freedom. But it is in Nigeria, Ghana and India where there is more confidence in expression on the international network.
I feel that the governments of countries like Iran are using social media bans as a way to suppress the opinions of their citizens which is a violation of their right to a fair hearing.
The freedom of communication cannot be ignored.
Good points @cooperative_dolphin I'd like to hear more from you, what do you think are the downsides to the internet?
Yes, the Internet should be a human right because he can express his opinion through the Internet, but the Internet must be used in a safe manner, because the Internet is a double-edged sword that has benefits and harms and benefits that facilitate our daily lives and express our opinions freely and use it in education and from its harms waste time and not sit with Parents become introverted and do not want to talk a lot, so you should use the Internet, but on a regular basis
The Internet made it easy for us to do many things, such as communicating with relatives, talking with friends and listening to songs, but it has negatives, as people waste their time on the Internet and forget to sit with the family. I believe that the Internet is not a human right, as most people have the Internet
What about if countries censor or limit access to the internet?
If the countries limit access to internet it will be good because people will now have time to spend with their families. Children will find time to read their books and time to also do house chores because these teenagers spend a lot of time on the internet and forget to do their chores. Teenagers will also start sleeping early and I can testify because when my phone is connected to the internet I actually won't sleep and if am to sleep I will sleep like at 4am and this also not good for the human body because it also needs enough rest and research show that if use use your phone at night when the light are off or when it is dark you are likely to have problems with your eyes. Without the internet the rates of cyberbullying will reduce and teenagers won't get spoilt because of the pornographic pictures and videos they get to watch on the social media platforms. The cases of online scamming will also reduce because the the internet is disconnected.
But also if the countries limit the access to internet it will be bad because there are many ways that the internet is helpful in. It can help people to communicate with people around the world just like what the Iranians are trying to do so that they can let people around know what is happening in their country. I can also give an example when a musician eddy Kenzo from Uganda was stuck in some African country in the west those times of lockdown but he used the internet to communicate with the government of Uganda and they helped him. It can also help in education because there are many people who have online lessons via zoom and some other social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook. It can be used by many businesses to advertise or market and even sell their products and they do this via social media platforms like Instagram. There also people who have online jobs where they get extra money to support their families for example there are also teenagers like me who take up some online jobs like attempting online surveys and marketing people's products and we earn money which help us not to always depend on our parents. Then lastly there are people who have prayers on some social platforms like YouTube and Facebook since some churches hold their services live on these platforms.
Hi @forgiving_gazelle !
I agree, sometimes we can get carried away and spend hours on the internet, would you say that we need to be more aware of the time we spend online?
yes . We need to be more aware of using the Internet. We must limit the time to use the Internet, for example, we use the Internet to take a break from work or after solving homework
Nice question, can you say that we need to be aware of the time we spend on the Internet?!
As we know that spending too much time on the internet is a very bad thing, because a person's time is wasted without making any use of it. Students will also experience a drop in schooling, and may be subject to blackmail and threats for spending too much time. Just as every negative thing has something positive, for example, whoever works on the Internet, the more time you spend, the more money you earn, even if it has negative aspects, but in this person's opinion, it is a positive thing to bring in money and living
I am unsure about whether the internet should be a human right. I think from a certain age, an age where you cam make your own choices, it should be, but for a child, I think it should be up to parents because the internet has some dangerous things that could be upsetting to children. So, I think it should be but whithin an age limit.
That's an interesting point. How do you think it should be controlled? Age limits for websites?
I sincerelly agree with you quickwitted_tamarind because children who are beneath a certain age limit do not neccessarilly need to be exposed to inappropriate language which is stated on various forms of social media and comments on google and chrome. Furthermore, age limits should be stated on websites to allow parents or careers to know whether a website is age and language appropriate for their child - before one explores the link/website.
Also, replying to 'Christine @ The Economist', age limits for websites should be situated on numerous apps to reassure/assure parents that a site is appropriate for their kid/child in many forums.
To conclude, I agree with your comment and think that it is justifyable.
As well as that, sorry for answering your question.
I sincerelly agree with you quickwitted_tamarind because children who are beneath a c ertain age limit do not neccessarilly need to be exposed to inappropriate language which is stated on various forms of social
But it will be hard to know put an age limit on the internet because some websites have already tried this but it had failed because for example when am signing into a certain website and they ask for my birth date and year instead of putting 2009 I put 2000 to make them belive that am above 18years yet am not.
But I think parents can help out in this, they can set parental guidance on the devices that they give their children so that they observe what their children do on the internet and incase it is not educative they will receive a notification on their phone asking for the permission to allow their children watch and the parents won't accept. So that's how you can control or prevent children from watching pornographic pictures and videos.
Technology isn't here in the world just because a bunch of mad scientists wanted something to destroy mankind. The internet is a gate to the human world and I strongly feel there shouldn't be a digital divide of any sort concerning the way people are meant to use it. Yes, it should be a human right. Why? Because there are people all the way across the world who aren't aware of human advancements. Isn't a wrong on the government which controls these people if they are deprived of something meant to be shared?
Your comment made me think
First I was thinking like you why don't the government provide these people (who know nothing about human progress which is internet)
But look, it's a little difficult for the government to provide these people with internet at a very high cost
As I said, the Internet is a good thing, yes, it is good, but not for all people, it must be under a certain age, and also for certain reasons, including politics, knowing the political events that are happening in the world, also for education and for work, otherwise it must be within Logic limits, for example, now that young children carry phones and the Internet. This is wrong and has major negatives in the future
The Internet is not considered a basic right like all other rights
But it is an important part of human rights in education and entertainment
The Internet is a luxury, not a necessity
Hi unique_starfish! I like your point about the internet being a luxury, not a necessity. Can you explain that more for me?
I sincerelly agree with you 'unique_starfish'. As the internet was created as a luxury because respective to the fact that if we did not have the internet, one could still survive as all the information that one desires are in books.
Even though the information may be stored in sacred or holy books like the Bhagavad Gita or the Quran, there are are other ways to retrieve the desired information which one longs to have.
Well done for replying to another user and stimulating discussion illuminated_newspaper!
Technology is the age of history. One of the elements of technology is the Internet, which has negatives and positives that affect humans. Among its negatives are waste of time, addiction, and distance from sources of science, etc. As for the positives, they are used for knowledge, information transfer, and invention of things, as well as for entertainment. The Internet is not really but part of the education process.
To me, a right Internet access feels like a right to basic aducation.
If you don't have access, you are at a huge disadvantage relative to the rest of society.
Given its ubiquity and importance in knowledge / learning / information, I, d say yes.
The Internet is important to our lives, whether professional, personal or scientific. The Internet helps communicate with the countries of the world and introduces us to the heritage of each country, but if the Internet is used incorrectly, this may lead to only major problems.
Iran has banned the Internet for all its citizens, as the Internet is considered a human right, so they used it very carefully
The Internet is important to our lives, whether professional, personal or scientific. The Internet helps communicate with the countries of the world and introduces us to the heritage of each country, but if the Internet is used incorrectly, this may lead to only major problems.
Iran has banned the Internet for all its citizens, as the Internet is considered a human right, so they used it very carefully
"Internet access is a unique and non-substitutable way for realising fundamental human rights such as free speech and assembly," he writes in a new paper.
The argument is that going online is now so essential for participating in modern life, doing without it puts people at a serious disadvantage in terms of staying informed, getting their voices heard, realising their fundamental human rights, and much more.
Hi @calm_deer
This is a good argument, do you agree with it? And, if so, do you think governments like the one in Iran should be allowed to restrict access to social media?
I believe that restricting the Internet and restricting and banning social media platforms has a great impact on violating the most important human right, which is to participate in opinions without condition or restriction. Each of us is well aware of how to use it correctly and is fully responsible for what he says or publishes..So from my point of view no There is a need to restrict the Internet, because this leads to the restriction and violation of freedoms and the restriction of engaging in discussing the various matters of society
What about if people's opinions are harmful to others? For example, social media is criticised for spread of hateful opinions of others. Some people's opinions can be hurtful to others, should they still be allowed to share them online?
Living without internet at home means that you’re able to focus on a task without your attention being diverted to your phone when you get a notification.
You are in control of your time, instead of wifi being in control of your time.
You Can Be More Organized
You benefit by restricting your use of Wi-fi because it forces you to be more organized. No longer do you have the luxury of 24/hour access to the internet, instead, you’ll have to plan your time accordingly when you do have access to an internet connection.
This is a great point unique_reality, you have responded with a lot of thought to this question. I like that you noticed some of the negative effects of the internet, and posed solutions to it.
It’s clear that we must build a better, safer, more empowering digital world.
We need governments, companies, civil society, and citizens to work together now to create this digital future. A future where internet access is understood — and realised — as a basic human right.
Do you have any suggestions for how the internet could become better, safer and more empowering?
It’s clear that we must build a better, safer, more empowering digital world.
We need governments, companies, civil society, and citizens to work together now to create this digital future. A future where internet access is understood — and realised — as a basic human right.
If it is recognised as a human right, governments may be faced with the dilemma of having to ensure access to it before they have been able to cover life’s most basic needs
This is a fantastic point brave_forest. How do you think the internet differs from other human rights?
I see access to the internet as an ancillary right that can facilitate the realisation of basic rights but should not be given the status of a ‘human right’ in itself. “It should not be considered a human right as such. From a potential point of view, it is true that basic rights and the internet are connected. Those who don’t have the internet will enjoy less protection of certain rights,” says Mark Coeckelbergh, professor of philosophy at the University of Vienna and researcher on the philosophy of media and technology.
“That is why I think it is important for it to be recognised as a right within our legal framework, so that access is ensured.
I really like that you have quoted an expert here. What do you think is the difference between a human right and an ancillary right?
No. Universal internet access is considered by most to be a laudable goal, but it's definitely not a fundamental right. Internet access is access to someone else's creation. That cannot be considered an inherent right.
Today, there are millions of people suffering and dying from basic diseases, from starvation, from severe exploitation, etc. Humanitarians should focus on granting those disadvantaged people actual fundamental rights (e.g., healthy food, clean water, basic medical care, education, choice, opportunity, freedom from coercion in marriage, employment better than subsistence farming) instead of expanding the roster of what the privileged ranks would consider it torturous to be denied and therefore must be defined as a fundamental right.
You make good points, calm_starfish. But you present the argument as if granting internet access as a fundamental right would come at the cost of addressing other fundamental rights. I understand your argument that it isn't fundamental, but also it isn't necessarily in competition with those other rights.
Yes, the Internet should be a human right because it should look to the world's news and news of what is happening in its country. For example, if loyalty spreads, how will the people be warned? Of course, through the Internet, then people can take the necessary measures, and also another example. When the Corona virus invaded the world, we could not go to school for fear of ourselves, so we used the Internet for distance learning. How can an alternative to distance learning be used instead of schools?
When they restrict the internet, then they will be robbed of our right to education. Restricting the internet means restricting our rights
How can we know the news without the Internet? Do you think you will know her through people? Will the news pass you by, and are you sure of it? Also, the news on the Internet is not all true. There are fake sites that publish false news to publish problems. These sites must beware of them. There are sites that are reliable that publish true news. These sites we follow and support and we report on fake sites that have no benefits.
From my point of view, it is a right for everyone and to be connected to all the nation, but with a specific use, meaning it is for a specific age group. The use of the Internet is divided into 1- Personal use, which is for all people to communicate with friends and family 2- Public use, which is its use as decision-making, is not a right. For example, when the subject of public opinion becomes public, all people express their opinion. This creates an imbalance and consensus between their opinions. I mean, an unqualified person comes with his opinion in a case that has taken place or a crime has taken place, and once he stands for or against and forms a force in the community and his opinion is wrong... Also, there are some platforms. I think it is preferable to restrict their use and they are not open to people twenty-four hours There are many accounts that do not serve the public interest and use things in the Internet. In the event of fire, what happened was found for it. The Internet was made for us to rise, learn and develop, but when I find platforms such as Tiktok, Facebook and other platforms that are open 24 hours, and these platforms have been silent and made the appearance of people so that they do not It deserves to be known, and the interest of the Arab world has become only to use the Internet for fame, not to rise and develop
NoInternet access should be universally availablewithout a doubtas a previous commenter notedaccess to the Internet in times of personal or national crises is vital in a world dependent on mass communications
But unfettered access to the Internet does not rise to the level of a fundamental right
Human rightsfundamental rightsinclude the right to live free of fearthe right to sufficient foodwater shelterand sanitation the right to medical carethe right to choose the form of government under which to live; the right to express opinions publically without censorship; the right to love who we choose to love, and so onThese are fundamental rights codified in many, but not all national constitutions
Access to the Internet should be available to allbut access does not equal a rightNor should it.
I am not really sure whether the internet should be a human right because there are advantages and disadvantages of the internet. I think it should be limited based on age. I think for children it should be limited because they could get exposed to all sorts of negative and harmful online activities such as cyber bullying and pornography. I've been engaged in numerous discussions with some of my mates on when they would allow their child to have access to the internet and many of them said when their children are grown and matured to a certain level that they will be able to filter out the negative aspects of the internet from the positive aspect then they would let that child have access to social media.
On the other hand, I think individuals that have attained a certain level of maturity should have access to the internet as a tool that will enable them secure their rights. There are many cases of people who have been able to fight off all forms of violations of their rights through the internet. The internet is also a tool to be used for self development.
A brilliantly well made point amazing_computer. You have presented both sides of the argument very well. Do you think the internet is as important as other human rights? Why or why not?
Yes not allowing the use of internet affects the other rights for example. I cannot name the amount of education and information the internet has given me, a world in which the internet is restricted simply just means a restricted world. Right to employment, using Nigeria as an example, the job opportunities in Nigeria aren't as much as the government thinks and even those that have jobs still need another source of income hence internet jobs. Using myself as an example, I would not say I am employed but I do make a certain amount of money useful to teenagers my age I answer surveys online and get money for my opinions. Even though it's not as lucrative as other jobs it helps me not to be so dependent on my parents as others my age.
Yes,but use for useful thing.
Because it's necessary for any body in any where
Interesting take on the topic glorious_lake. Who do you think would / should define whether something is useful?
I think who determines that it is useful or not according to the age of the person
* If the person who uses it is an adult, he is the one who determines whether it is useful or not
* If the person is young (under the age of majority or a child), then the person responsible is the one who determines whether it is useful or not, by placing control over their devices and educating them to use it for what benefits them and to stay away from what harms them.
I believe that having access to the Internet is a right for every person who is able to use it well, positively and safely.
Great comment sensible_impression, really great and simple. What are some of the ways people can use the internet well, positively and safely?
•Yes the internet should be a human right. Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase "global village" in his book The Gutenberg Galaxy. The world is indeed a global village because of the technology and internet which has made distance in existence. It is often said that we should be our brother's keeper and one way of showing that is through the internet. Human beings control the activities that happen on the internet so it is our right to be the human right to yourselves, it is our right to be our brother's keeper.
•limiting the internet can cause some unacceptable things thrive in society. An example is in Nigeria when a girl named Deborah Samuel a Christian was accused by her course mate that are Muslims for blaspheming the Quran and she was stoned and beaten to death, Nigerians frowned at the situation and even their Muslim leaders condemned what they did and the culprit were punished, these has registered in the minds of Nigerians not to do that again. If not for the internet no one would have known and the case wouldn't have been taken it serious.
I really like how you reference an expert in Marshall McLuhan, and another news story in your comment emotional_meaning. You have used the knowledge skill brilliantly by doing these things. I have awarded you two stars for your great use of our skills!
Thank you.
To be honest if internet should not be a human right then it should not be restricted either in my own opinion it decreases our dependency. People say our generation is too dependent so why do something that stops our flow of creativity. Believe it or not the internet is a way for some people to feel part of the country or a group. I mean it's a way to make our voices heard, it was created for a reason.
Great points accurate_wombat, especially when you talk about the internet giving a voice to people who don't otherwise have a voice and to feel part of something.
Yes actually it give a huge voice I mean someone with no money or social status having a say and it matters. You don't have to have money or be influencial to have you opinion taken seriously.
Great comment accurate_wombat, I agree that the internet can amplify voices that wouldn't otherwise be heard
And that is why we need the internet it is like a loud speaker that makes voices louder. The internet is crucial to development.
This is a great observation @accurate_wombat
However, it also begs the question, should voices ever be restricted? (e.g., extreme voices) And, if so, who should decide which voices get restricted?
Yes, Internet access is the view that all people should be able to access the Internet in order to exercise the right to freedom of expression and opinion and other basic human rights, that the state has a responsibility to ensure that Internet access is widely available and that states do not restrict Individual access to the Internet is irrational, for example, in Palestine, the Internet is a right to defend the homeland and express opinion, and work to protect and promote digital rights in Palestine, which constitute an extension of human rights in the digital space, with regard to access to information, the right to privacy and the right to access The Internet, assembly and organization via the network and enjoy freedom of choice. The Palestinian Internet domain provides wide opportunities, scope, financial and rational use of this national resource for the benefit of the Palestinian people. Some people use the Internet to work through the Internet, which introduces them to personal expenses and helps them not to rely on parents for the expenses
Some great points here careful_jambul. Do you think people should have the right to choose, and the right to say what they want, even if what they do and say harms others? Why/why not?
Yes, a person has the freedom to choose and the freedom to say what they want, and that is in the light of others, and this is due to the upbringing of people, and some people have feelings and do nothing or say anything that harms another person..
I am pretty sure we have all heard the saying 'ignorance is bliss.' But I find this saying to be highly incorrect. In fact, what you don't know can hurt you. Insight has a beginning but no end and I think it should be embraced. The internet is a modern approach to learning and discovery. The best part of it is that it is so broad and encompassing. The internet is the best way for me to get information. Something so good should be entitled to everyone as a right and a priveledge. The internet is the place we all go to search for something we need to find out about. Without it most of us will still be ignorant of even general knowledge. Everyone has the write to learn and recieve education, whether informal or formal. And so if everone has the right to education and to learning, everyone is also entitled aquire these by whatever means necessary. And because the internet is serves as such a medium, everyone is entitled to it.
Is everything on the internet true? What challenges are there around research and information on the internet?
I am sorry to say, but everything we see on the internet can not be true because not everyone has concurring opinions and ideas and most people don't usually see eye to eye on some matters. What I'm trying to say is that due to contrasting views and different perspectives, it's hard to know what we should and should not believe. We have so much fake news and untrue stories going around everywhere. The best way to take care of this problem is by determining the validity of any information that gets to us and acquiring information from reliable sources which are proven to give correct information.
I agree because everyone has the right to express themselves. Social Media is a platform where people have the opportunity to post how they feel. Without the internet we wouldn't be able to see the news around the world and won't know whats happening . The internet has become a very useful thing and we wouldn't want to not have it any more.
I truly agree that the social media is an essential part of the modern human life. It is a platform where people are allowed to express how they feel about some restrictions in their country. A country like Iran should allow the people to use the social media to express how they feel about a few aspects like political participation, rules and restrictions (dressing code), health and other fundamental rights that are being suppressed in their country. I strongly believe that the social media has a few solutions to the problems around the world today because the biggest percentage of people in the world run to the social media for solutions to the problems running around the world as we are doing it through the topical talks. And I believe it is here to help .
What do you think the people who run the social media platforms can or should do to help with people's rights?
Well the people who run social media platforms can open up groups with the state holds .To discuss about the various ways they can promote human rights .Groups like Amnesty International ,Human Rights Watch, The International Federation For Human Rights .Those are some of the groups on social media that help promote human rights in the world. If all State Holds are involved. Then it will surely work
that the right to Internet access, also known as freedom of communication, is the view that all people must be able to access the Internet in order to exercise the right to freedom of expression and opinion, and other basic human rights, and that states have a responsibility to ensure that Internet access is available on broad scope, and countries should not restrict Internet access freely
1)I think that they should travel to different countries to get their voices heard because what they are doing to girls and women is not right. WOMEN SHOULD BE HEARD!
2) They should also maybe tweet thing on the internet get more people involved in this terrible thing because it is not right.
3)They could try to become the countries leader and make it equal for men, women, gils and boys.
4) For some children they want to stand up for their right but they don't know how to. so they need to let everyone have a say not just a few people!
If the laws of a country don't allow these things to happen, what can individuals do?
I think everyone should have the right to believe whatever you want.
I think everyone should have an education or they will not do well in life and will not be able to have money have a family have a house and go on holiday.
I think that everyone should be able to share there opinon in whatever way they choose because if there was one way only to share your thought it would get boring and nobody would listen so it you share your ides in different ways then people might want to read on or find out more about what there opinon is.
What about if someone powerful or influential shares offensive ideas which are prejudice? Isn't there a danger that people could see this as permission to share offensive ideas?
I believe that everyone should be allowed to access the internet because it is not only used for entertainment but we also can use it to work, to get educated and to express ourselves freely
Yes because then you can see everything happening around the world and get informed of what is hapening or about to happen in the future.
Yes I think it should be a human right because any person has the right to go on the internet and on many different tabs. I think that if the internet gets limited people will not be able to learn new things such as : google slides, google docs and google classroom. If I didn't have the internet then I wouldn't learn any new tabs and I wouldn't know anything on the internet.
Do you use the internet at school and how?
Yes, of course, the Internet is a human right and people must be able to access the Internet in order to exercise the right to freedom of expression and opinion through social networking sites.
The restriction of the Internet imposed by some governments has seriously affected the daily lives and human rights of millions of people, including the right to freedom of expression.
For me, I rely entirely on the Internet to get global and local news and it is irreplaceable
Everyone must have the Internet, and this is considered a right to express opinion. Through the Internet, he can vote about politics or things that happen in the country. Through the Internet, he can learn, and this is the right to education. Recently, there was the Corona virus, so people could not go out. At home, the activity on the Internet at work or study was through direct broadcasting and in another field the dissemination of news, whether it was political or public, and this is a human right for people to know what is going on around us, and people can believe or oppose this news, this is their opinion, and anyone can share what In his mind, therefore, the Internet is of great importance in the fields of
Multi-political as the nomination of Russians
Economical like knowing food prices
In the field of education for undergraduate students or owners of companies, they can use the Internet to find out information
There are relatives who are in other countries far from their families, and they communicate via the Internet.
Definitely the internet should be a human right but at the same time there should be an age before an individual can use the internet anyhow seeing how it can affect young people both negatively and positively. In my opinion limiting the internet indirectly violates a basic human right which is freedom to speech and access to information and also freedom to fair hearing. Not everyone is opportune to be where the laws are made or when decisions are taken and the only way we can let them know our opinions is mostly by the internet. When I hear the news I usually go and check online to clarify and make sure is not fake but if I do not have access to the internet most of the news I hear I would doubt because I will think they are fake and do not have a source.
Yes, because the world has become like a small village thanks to the Internet, so you will know what is happening and going on around the world. If this right is not available, some will be ignorant of what is happening in the world as well in the Corona Covid 19 pandemic, most of the natural rights have become practiced on the Internet and social networking sites, for example, education is one of the most important rights. The pandemic may deprive some of this right as well as other rights, as I said earlier that the Internet in this age has become a right for every human being, but using it in the right ways.
Yes, I agree...
I say that internet should really be a human right because without internet how are the people supposed to express their feelings to the outside world, how are they supposed to ask for help in time of need or share their problems to the outside world. Leaving that there are also people who work on the internet to get money to provide for their families whereby this would be violating their rights like a right to employment whereby this person will lose his job if the internet is to be removed then also a right to education whereby this person that is working online won't be able to provide school fees for the children and forgetting that there are also people who learn online. To give an example if the internet was to be removed now how would we be able to access the Topical Talk Festival where I believe many students are working hard to achieve their goals. So I strongly say internet should be a human right.
Hi idealistic_song! You make a strong argument with lots of positives! Do you think there are any negatives to the internet and, if so, what are they?
The internet also has the negative side though I had forgotten to talk about them because there is more good that I could find in the positive side. But when the internet is made a human right people will get addicted to the internet those who have jobs will even stop going to work or they will get distracted when they have internet with them. According to my research it shows that the percentage of cyberbullying in UK is 27% and this is because children use the internet to hurt the rest of their friends. The internet has also exposed children to pornography which has spoilt the young generation today. People nowadays use the internet to hack people's bank accounts which affects all the plans that the person had made for that money.
This is a great point idealistic_song, I really like the way you use examples to justify your point.
Hi idealistic_song,
Thank you for answering my question - you make some good points about the dangers of the internet!
But also internet being a human right should not be taken as an advantage to other people to use it to disturb other people's peace like posting pornographic videos on the web and also hacking people's bank accounts to steal their money. People also use this advantage to over throw the ruling government using the internet.
I agree because...
Internet has helped many people to get money through working on some websites like forex trade, expert option and social media so internet helps to reduce on the level of poverty in a country.
Internet can help one to talk to their loved ones who are in a far different region because in most cases if you are to use your airtime it is very costly and it can also refuse to work depending in the country your in.
As you see when we had a lockdown children were not going to school so they introduced an app called zoom which helped children learn and cover more of their syllabus
Limiting the internet can lead to many problems in the country like; it can affect people's jobs whereby most jobs need internet to work like they can need to send emails to their workers which have work that can be needed for printing and without the internet they won't be able to so it can lead to a business downgrade.
As you see in most schools children are given assignments when they go back home and they need to make research and you can find that the textbooks they own don't have the answers to it whereby they will turn to the internet and in most cases internet has the answers so without it children will be missing some knowledge.
In most cases some people find listening to music as a way of relaxing their mind and killing off the stress and without this internet where will they ever get to listen to music from and also artists wont be a able to produce songs because they will have no internet.
Lastly, my experience with news without the internet will be completely off because in most cases i watch funny short videos which can give me the energy to listen to the news. It will be hard for me to easily get news because in such an urban area its hard for me to get a newspaper with all the news that i need yet on the internet i can specifically search for what i need.
Limiting the internet would affect other people human rights in a way that , whereby we shall use the covid incident as our main example. During this covid incident, learning was done online and if the internet was limited then, people would not be able to access these online lessons making them miss out on their right to education.
Secondly, since most people were carrying out there businesses online, limiting the internet would leave some people unemployed denying the the right of employment .
I don't think the internet should be a human right as many people don't have access to the internet, don't know how to use it or don't use it in a beneficial way as quoted from above "people have the right to express their opinion in any way" using the internet people can threaten violence, inequality and not allowing people to believe what they want so by making the internet a human right you may allow a way to break another but a reason that it should be a human right is because most job applications and homework can be done or needs to be done online so without the internet you may be limited from two other human rights. A way to other come the problem of inequality online would be to put this in place with a few rules, such as people should only have the internet as a human right if they are old enough to make choices for themselves. Another rule that would overcome the problem of inequality online would be that if people use this human right to break others that this right could be taken of them.
I think that yes, it should be a right of women, because they can use it sometimes through research and learning (such as cooking and others) through it and also communicating with others (friends or family).
The Internet hinders a person's life because it distracts him a lot from work, study and others
I can watch news from TV, radio or mobile radio as well.
yes of cours internet is very important
It is an appropriate means of developing culture and building minds by providing great libraries in different locations, whether for books or magazines.
Befor answering this question we must mention that the internet has agood side and abad side put you decide wich side you will use and that bring us back to the poinet of the right of choose so i belive that the internet should be a human right becouse it has alot of beniefts and it gives us opportunity to talk about our opinions and when we prevent people from using the internt and restrict their freedom the ignorance can spread and everyone has the right to choose his way to use it
Do you think that discussions on the internet should be regulated, so that people are able to talk about their opinions, but in a way that is respectful to others?
I think access to the internet should be the right that everyone should have. The internet is where people share their lives, communicate, express themselves and many other important things. Sometimes the internet can have some information that is not needed and shouldn't be there, but people also use internet access for safety purposes. I see and understand why the government is shutting down the internet in Iran, but while the current situation going has involved over 200 people getting killed, then there is no good reason to shut it down in Iran.
Well done for referring to the topic in your answer. Can you give an example of people using the internet for safety purposes?
In my opinion what did the morality police do in Iran with Mahasa Amini it's not religious because our prophet Mohammed,may God,bless him and grant him peace said "There is not compulsion in religion" and what did lran do by restricting the internet it's not humanitarian because ever persoin has the right to have a voice,to defend what happened in his country
The Internet is the right of every person and should not be prevented from it. One of the most important advantages of the Internet is that it allows more than 7 billion people around the world to communicate with each other through a phone screen or a computer. The Internet allows anyone to communicate with people in part of the world through chatting sites or e-mail without The need to leave his room, where he allowed people to communicate, and one of the benefits of the Internet is to communicate with anyone easily and quickly, to learn new things in various fields, to study via the Internet in various universities, to learn about the latest news and developments, and the lack of the Internet in some countries leads to the spread of ignorance, restriction of freedoms, and the lack of learning or recognition. to people or news
Yes, the Internet is a human right, which is the freedom to use it and communicate our point of view and opinions and facts that the outside world must know. Restricting its use leads to a lack of knowledge and the concealment of issues that must be struggled to highlight.
The Internet constitutes a place of human rights such as education, entertainment and freedom to express opinions, present ideas and publish facts, but it is not a basic right, but its prevention is considered an infringement of these rights that I mentioned above.
Hi @accurate_chicken
I really like the way you have framed your argument: the Internet is a place where human rights are exercised and expressed, rather than a basic right in and of itself.
Do you think it is possible to enjoy and benefit from all your human rights without access to the Internet?
From my point of view,I think the answer is yes . Because the daily life, and through the internet we can express our options and our freedoms bravely. Internet is important in all fields of life such as education because it enables us to benefit from online courses and communicate with our teachers and friends , in addition in the field of health. Where itt has possible to consult a doctor through the internet. And also in the field of politic where voting for election has become election.as well as social media which is platform where people have the chance to know how they feel about a particular issue. It also provide a lot of job apportunities. I think restricting the internet will affect the spread of ignorance , worries and bordom. In conclusion without the internet we can't know what the world news is a broad as it made the world small village .
Internet access has become an essential part of our modern life It's necessary for ensure freedom of expression about ourselves For political For health and other rights So it should be a very important human right Therefore, parents must monitor their children to preserve their minds and morals so that they remain healthy without any harm from those with blameworthy morals.
I agree that the Internet is a human right because its importance cannot be ignored in everything, especially in providing diverse and easy job opportunities, especially for women, first for those who were unable to leave the house. It also helps provide an opportunity for employers to reach the best competencies and communicate with other countries. Also, I will not deny its importance in all areas, such as distance education and smart research, and in providing social opportunities, as it transformed the big world into a small village.
Yes: Because the Internet helps to express the opinion in general and the ability to share information and every country should bear responsibility to make access to Internet access can be affiliated and working on the Internet by using the Internet and use of entertainment and education, so the Internet must be "really human rights"
Iran has tightened and reduced the use of the Internet so that it does not become an issue of public opinion.This violation against human rights leads to and result in a violation of human rights, which leads to the issuance of a United Nations resolution to take measures against Iran .
In my point of view
the thing that What Iran did is considered a crime because it has no right to restrict the Internet in a case that is considered a public opinion issue. In my opinion, other countries should bear full responsibility in covering the case instead of Iran and revealing the facts to prevent disasters and protests and to prevent the recurrence of events
After Mahsa Amini's death for not wearing the hijab the first protest took place , protests started to happen more often since then and Internet was heavily restricted , more than half of the famous websites were banned when more and more protests started to happen .
In my point of view I think they did that because women started to take videos of themselves taking off their hijabs and burning them , afterwards they would upload them on social media .They even started to cut their hair in public to chant of" woman,life,freedom" and "death to the dictator".
There is a big responsibility for those who are outside of iran to speak out ,because this is a humanitarian issue and because they are subjected to injustice.
I think the internet should be a human right because denying people to use internet is like denying them a right to know whats going on in the world cause most people these days use internet as their main medium of information, it is also like denying them a right to speak their minds out or express themselves since most people fear coming to speak whats on their mind, its like denying some people a right to education since they use the internet to study for example through zoom lessons or through research, its like denying them a right to employment cause in Uganda as per now people use internet for marketing their jobs by creating instagram pages, facebook pages for their businesses and some actually do online business by selling their products online. My experience of news without internet will be really bad cause in Uganda they don't really broadcast information going on in the world they mainy broadcast that of the country and as a student i need to know whats going on and me as me actually most of us now the internet is part of my daily life and life without it will be really bad.
Excellent explanation - internet not only being source of information but part of the modern society.
I think that access to the Internet does not deserve to be a human right that includes everyone, but there are other rights that are more necessary than that, such as health care and education. The Internet can be a catalyst for spreading awareness and culture around the world, but not for everyone. It is only for those who have full awareness of what is happening inside the virtual world and can use it in the right way.
supportive_argument thanks for your comment. Who do you think might have full awareness of what is happening inside the virtual world?
The government and/or the owner of the internet company.
PS: thanks!
People who are fully aware of the dangers of the Internet and people who do not suffer from any social or financial problems in their real life.
I feel the same for we need technology for other thing like important work and what's out there in the real world like what's in space and the galaxy's.
I think the internet could be a human right however people shouldn’t spend all their time on it
I do not support the arrest of the girl by the Iranian police because there is a law in Iran called personal freedom and freedom of worship, but on the other hand, we must not deny or condone the ruling on wearing the veil. “Oh Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the women of the believers that they should draw down their cloaks over them, that is the best way to be known and not to be harmed. It is the responsibility of the people outside Iran, but rather on those who live inside Iran, because the people of Iran are the ones who have the problem, and they are the ones who should object to what is happening there.
We know that the veil is imposed, but not to the extent that those who do not wear the veil should be arrested and may lead to his death in prison, as happened with Massa Amini. Of course, this behavior will result in strong reactions from Iranians, such as the very large protests that have continued for a very long time against the Iranian governments that have strongly suppressed them, which led to their restriction of freedoms to use the Internet. Of course, this is not permissible, because as we know that progress in the Internet is one of the main reasons for political progress.It is also the responsibility of people outside Iran to talk about what is happening in Iran and also to help the Iranians and provide them with what they need . And if the Iranian governments were not able to convey the voice of the Iranians to the world, on the contrary, they pressured them because of their protests. The whole world should help them, understand what they are going through, help them and provide them with everything they need.
The internet should be a right because in the modern age so many services are provided via the internet such as Education,Entertainment,News and even people can order for meals via the internet. The internet in a country should be free and uncensored because this can be a violation of a right to free speech.
The internet can be used by different people around the world to communicate FREELY.
The internet has become so wide spread that even is is being adopted in third world countries for provision of services.
During COVID we saw how important was to all of us we ordered food ,studies and got informed all via the internet even in some countries people could get apply for government aid via the internet and also apply for COVID testing online.
The main issue is the access of the internet the ,internet it's self and most internet websites on the internet are free but accessing a Device and a Internet Service Provider.This putting aside countries where there are heavy internet restrictions.
Yes of course I agree !
because Internet is important to communicate with people whether they are at a long or short distance from us.
I think it's not right to restrict it.
through the social networking sites we can watch news, economic conditions and weather.
Without it, the news would'nt have spread to the whole world such as the issue of Palestine.
The internet is the only way for the truth of the situation in Iran to reach the world. so, it is not permissible for Iran to do this. In this case, residents outside Iran must speak and convey the truth of the matter to the world in any way
I think the internet should be a human right as without it, people wont be heard and listened to. In Iran, the internet is not a human right so the protesters and people seeking for help are unable to tell the world about the disasters there. That is why the internet is so important, not only for them but for us too. We need the internet to know about this stuff and know about other things too. Most people use the internet as a way to read and listen to the news and without news we wouldn't know anything about what is happening around our Earth. We wouldn't be able to go on topical talk which is on the internet.
Although I think the internet is very important, young children should have their parents permission to go on it as there could be dangerous things and things above their age on there.
What do you think the age limit for permission should be?
I think that the iranian government has restrected the internet so that people can't publish videos of protests,and can't publish about the people who are against the iranian regime.Our islam said "There is no compulsion in religion". "لا اكراه في الدين" .So they mustn't force any woman to wear hijab in this bad way.Finally all other countries should stand by them and speak out about them.
Yes it should be a human right I mean everything needs a backbone, everyone needs a voice, so why limit it why make the world so limited, why make some people distant and others current. Anyone who really think the censoring of people's opinions is a good idea doesn't really want progress if you ask me. Instead of shutting people voices why not amplify them, make them count, make them louder. The least a leader can do is make his citizens feel like they count, so in my opinion, yes the internet could and should be a right.
What about if if someone is using their voice to say hateful things?
The Internet is one of the most important mediums that operate social networking applications and transform the wide world into a small village, and it is a right for all peoples of countries from large to small, and one of its benefits is to facilitate communication and exchange of information and help to learn new information, study, demand and delivery services. There are countries that prevent their peoples From using the Internet in all its ways, and this is what causes the spread of ignorance and the lack of expression of people’s innovations and ideas easily, the difficulty of communicating with each other and the lack of awareness. Parents should monitor their children on the Internet to know everything that children watch to secure their minds and ideas appropriate for their ages and protect their future.
The Internet is one of the most important mediums that operate social networking applications and transform the wide world into a small village, and it is a right for all peoples of countries from large to small, and one of its benefits is to facilitate communication and exchange of information and help to learn new information, study, demand and delivery services. There are countries that prevent their peoples From using the Internet in all its ways, and this is what causes the spread of ignorance and the lack of expression of people’s innovations and ideas easily, the difficulty of communicating with each other and the lack of awareness. Parents should monitor their children on the Internet to know everything that children watch to secure their minds and ideas appropriate for their ages and protect their future.
I think the internet should be part of human right. The internet is a global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities. Without the internet you can't have access to some information even if some may say that there are also television networks, broadcasting news to the public, but with this television can you get any information you want at a specific time? No, Free access to internet should actually be a human right.
In a place like Iran where there is limit to Freedom of Speech. I feel they should have complete right to say what they want on social media. Not just anything but meaningful information because it will help to know the opinion of the public even to the government of Iran.
Life without the internet is pretty hard to fathom. We use it for virtually everything in our lives, even for connecting with those around us. Even through normal conversations news is spread across. My experience of news without the internet would really be stressful because the circulation of information will actually be less and more difficult to get to know what is happening around the world.
Hi @funny_lute, thank you for your contribution.
You said, "I feel [people in Iran] should have complete right to say what they want on social media".
Do you think there should be any restrictions on what is posted/said on social media? And, if so, who should decide what is restricted (e.g., the social media company, the government, or the online community)
There should be restrictions to what is posted. The present generation of people are exposed to hate content and misleading content. To protect children and adolescents, and to restore moral values, censorship is needed. Some people are defaming their enemies as a revenge tactic. The online community should be able to handle this aspect because it is online that such is posted.
I think the internet should be a human right because the internet allows us to know more about what is going on in the world. Through knowing what is going on in the world, we can also contribute and share our own ideas. The internet also gives us a voice and allows us to express beliefs and opinions. Limiting this would affect people's other human rights because being able to access the internet allows us to express human rights like freedom of speech and the freedom to believe whatever you'd like. If you stopped people from being able to access the internet, or limited it, others would not know what is going on in other places around the world. Neither would they be able to know how they could help or express their own opinion on it. My experience on news might be different without the internet because others are able to contribute their own opinions on the internet, so if it was unaccessible I would not know how it affects others and what other people's opinion on the news is. I also would not know how to help other people if there isn't any internet that I could access.
Do you think anyone should be able to share their opinions, no matter what that opinion is?
No, I do not think anyone should be able to share their opinions regardless of what they are. This is because many people have negative opinions, and those negative opinions should be kept to themselves.
Are all negative opinions bad do you think? Are there any examples you can think of of people saying negative things on the internet?
Yes, because it is very important if it used in the right way. Because of it, the world has become a small village through social networking sites and we learn about the history of nations. If it does not exist, the world will be unable to express opinion and the world will become primitive and ignorant, so the Internet must be an item of human rights
Internet should become a human right because it has become an essential part of this modern life , and necessary to ensure peoples expression especially women, rights of personal way of living and other fundamental rights. It creates invaluable which makes social change and people gain identities . On this point as said in Iran women are denied some rights like the internet which is not fair and in most cases people must know what is going on in the world which is not happening , I personally I am given every right I need so every one around the world should get their required needs in order to live a happy and peaceful life. And without internet no one would know what is even happening in the world ,this modern life is good so every one should enjoy it.
Internet is both a good a bad influence on people depending on the way they use it but internet has many disadvantages like; Internet has websites that post porn and some of them have no restrictions and those that have their restrictions are weak so someone who is underage can still break the system and watch it so I suggest that at least let google put a restriction of where by you would have to put in your national id number and that way under aged people will stop watching porn and watching it is very addictive and this can damage one's mental health. Internet also has bad websites like the black market which enable one to buy firearms illegally and they use them to harm others. Internet is misused by some people as in they cyberbully others in ways like abusing them, posting insecure photos of them.
Yes, simply because of the fact that most social services today can be distributed via the internet Education can be received via zoom lessons or various websites,Various political opinions can be shared via social media platform like twitter,Facebook and Instagram. Now day E-Commerce is very common and many jobs and business are going completely online.And in my daily life in my school we use the internet to make gain farther data about topics we have studied in class and also complete tasks.
The internet is a right in the morden human life. First of all, the internet helps alot and it's useful but the way the Iran government is denying the people internet it's fair like when you deny a child a right to education that child won't feel very well like how am feeling right now.Internet is a platform where people can express their feelings.Now i don't understand why the government is denying the people internet and closing all platforms making people not to express their feelings. Here in Uganda, the internet helps alot like making reseach like to prove like how am trying to prove that the Iran government is doing a wrong in life eventhough they keep on doing this, there is a time they finally open the internet platforms.In my conclusion, let them keep protesting cause what i know the Iran government will get tried cause internet is aright.
Yes it should be a human right I mean everything needs a backbone, everyone needs a voice, so why limit it why make the world so limited, why make some people distant and others current. Anyone who really think the censoring of people's opinions is a good idea doesn't really want progress if you ask me. Instead of shutting people voices why not amplify them, make them count, make them louder. The least a leader can do is make his citizens feel like they count, so in my opinion, yes the internet could and should be a right.
Well, I would say that internet should be a human right because its very crucial in staying aware of whatever is in the world. Basically the reason as to why i think positively of the internet is because it helped change my life as a student. In covid-19 period, my country was looked down completely with all schools closed for two years, as a long distance student there was no way of accessing learning materials but when my school organized online studies via zoom and this saved me from dropping out of education since my parents had already suggested me for jobs. For this reason i owe the internet for my education. Besides, most of my classmates have parents living and working abroad so they the internet to contact them. With internet supporting FAMILY that makes it a human right and not having it deprives us of many other rights.
I think that the internet should be a human right because of all the good it can cause. For example, social media and the internet helped shed a light on bad things happening around us. Limiting the internet will make it hard for us to know what is going on in the world. Also the internet is a safe space for many people and that shouldn't be limited. Without the internet you will hear news a lot later and not be as aware as you would be if there was internet.
I would say that the internet is a human right because everything in the world is now linked with the internet for example news, jobs, bank accounts, businesses, information about different things in the world delivery services even school is now online (due to the COVID era) so if a person is denied internet I feel like they would miss out so much. With internet people are able to express themselves through social media.
How would limiting the internet affect people's other human rights?
Limiting internet on people would be like denying people a right to knowledge and education because there is so much information on the internet that someone can learn from. Another right that would be neglected would be a right to employment since most people send request s for jobs online and also work online. If a person is also limited getting food would be hard because (like the point I raised earlier) people work online and are paid online so without working they won't be paid and not being paid means no many and with no money means you can't buy food.
My experience of news without internet I'd say that it's boring because I find watching or getting news from a radio or television is not as interesting as getting it online.
Yes, the Internet is an important medium for the work of social networking applications and helps to facilitate communication and exchange of information between people and helps to study and search for things easily and comfortably, unlimited communication and of course entertainment.
I see that some countries impose on their people to prevent the use of the Internet in all its forms, and this leads to the spread of ignorance, restricting the freedom and comfort of people to express their thoughts, and psychological problems such as suicide, as happened in Iran; Therefore, there is no convincing reason to close the Internet, but it must be used positively and not allow the spread of bad and harmful ideas to society.
I believe that Internet access should be a right for all to enjoy, and we need governments, businesses, civil society and citizens to work together now to create a secure digital future In which access to the Internet is understood as a basic human right, the world has become a global village because of technology and the Internet, and a distance in existence, but the right to use the Internet must be at a certain age, as children may encounter dangerous things above their age when using the Internet and negatively affect them and censorship must be imposed Parents to know everything their children watch to secure their minds, protect them from deviation from the right path, secure their future, and protect them from mental illnesses such as introversion and isolation. This is not a life issue but also a future issue.
Internet should be a human right because it helps people with lots of stuff , helps us to be able to go to school and learn every day and if we never had internet then it wouldn't be able to live a life.
Yes because then you can see what is happening around the world and can say what is happening here and you can ring different people.
Why do you think it's important to know what is happening around the world?
So then you can get updated on what is going to happen and what has happend.
1)internet must and must be not only the right but the basic right of every sane person because depriving the people of this right means locking them in an isolated cell with no contact with outside world.
2)they say man is a social animal.he can't live without what he is surrounded by,so if you try to cut his contact off his surroundings all aspects of his life would be frozen,his right of education,right of earning and foremost right of freedom would be crushed.
I disagree because humans survived for thousands of years without the internet, if we could do that then, we can do it now. Humans are sociable creatures and social media stops humans from really being sociable, it stops them from actually meeting people in real life.Would you really describe a human that holes up in a house and uses social media all day long as being sociable?
The internet should be a human right. Although it is not without cons, people shouldn't be revoked of their right to speak out through the internet. There are many platforms of social media in which users can freely speak their mind and what is going on in their lives, and to take away that right is to take away our freedom of speech. Also without the internet, a lot of people wouldn't have access to the basic worldwide news. Not everyone has cable to watch the television, and the local newspaper doesn't cover every event that goes on outside the country, or even city you live in. The internet is a great resource for obtaining news outside of where you live and without it, many people wouldn't know of the issues that are happening to other countries.
It is a great point that some people rely heavily on the internet for news consumption if they d not have a TV. It is also very good to raise that the internet offers a variety of news beyond their locality.
I am unsure about whether the internet should be a human right. I sincerelly trust that children under certsin ages should not recieve the internet because they do not neccessarilly need to be exposed to inappropriate language which is stated on various forms of social media and comments on google and chrome. Furthermore, age limits should be stated on websites to allow parents or careers to know whether a website is age and language appropriate for their child - before one explores the link/website. So, the decision is up to the parent.
For those kids who are capable to create their own decisions and comprehend on what they should view, should be given internet as a human right for various reasons.
The internet isn't inherently a human right but with the way the internet has been ingrained into the social and economic stand points of the world, the internet is an important tool to have and plays a role into free speech. Currently, the quickest and most efficient way to inform or be informed is through the internet, this is why the internet being restricted in Iran is such a huge deal. Iran restricting internet access is directly restricting citizens from informing the rest of the world of what's happening in the country and speaking out against the government. Without the internet, it would be extremely hard for almost anyone who wants to make a difference in this world, make a difference. The internet is the bulk of information in our society and whether or not someone can use it, is keeping them from using free speech.
The internet may be the quickest way to inform or be informed, but what challenges does that speed pose?
Yes! You can watch the news and if something particularly interests you, talk with your family and friends about it! You can also give your opinion about it here, at Topical Talk! You can also check if the news is true by checking different news channels, like ITV news and BBC ONE news too!
It's clear that we must build a better,safer, more empowering digital world.
Regarding the internet and established human rights,it is nearly impossible to meaningfully participate in public affairs and politics without internet access. The same goes for accessing an adequate education, healthcare,or other economic and social human rights.
Thus, internet access should be recognized as a fundamental human right -- because it is implicit in, indivisible with, with necessary for the realization of other fundamental human rights.
Well, our experience of the news won't be right as if the government banned all TV news channels to go live except for the one that tells us because they want to be the only be the only ones to know the truth about what really happens in the world, they would just be selfish and we would be the ones talking about those lies until we find out what was really going on in this world, we would protest because of that because it won' t be fair, right?
1.I don't think the internet should be a human right because: before the invention of the internet, people lived fine without it, it may be common for people to use the internet nowadays but like what Vincent Turf said "Technology is an enabler of rights not a right itself." I agree with that because the internet makes rights, but it is not a right itself.
2.Limiting the Internet, because it is an enabler of rights will really affect people and people won't be able to share what happens in their country and in the case of Iran, it is stopping gender equality.
3. Without the internet, the news would be harder to read and it would stop people knowing what is happening in other countries, so the news would only show things that happen in their continent but not really the entire world.
3. experience of the news would be different
3.
You've raised an interesting point here, fiery_raisin. Do you think if people survived without something before it means it's less important?
I don’t think if people survived without something before makes it any less important because people didn’t have writing in the past, but now it is one of the most influential things ever invented. Some people today don’t even use internet, like tribes in the Amazon, that is why I said it wasn’t a right. If you ask me a right is something everyone should have, but some people don’t have internet, but they still get along fine without.
Plus, it would affect the whole world if they limited the internet so our only choice would be the newspapers but if they banned that, there won't be something really interesting to talk about the news and only about our own stuff and the news won't really exist in this world in the future!
yes
The right to access the Internet, also known as the right to broadband or freedom of communication, is the view that all people should be able to access the Internet in order to exercise the right to freedom of expression and opinion, and other basic human rights
• I think the internet should be a human right because most of the current activities in the world are conducted online. A familiar example is the topical talk programme where schools around the world give their students a chance to interact with others virtually via the Internet and share ideas about problems in the world. The Internet has empowered most with the ability to improve their innovative and creative skills to solve problems in their community. for example in our country, during the COVID -19 pandemic when school had to shut down, learning kept going on via the Internet using apps like zoom. everyone deserve the chance to access the Internet in order to promote learning and trade.
• If the Internet was limited, people's right to education will be greatly affected following the fact that in modern school students use computers as learning aids and are given assignments and are supposed to research from the Internet and therefore won't be in position to accomplish their assignments in time or even fail them due to obstruction of Internet knowledge.
Limiting the Internet will affect people's public relations as most people feel more comfortable sharing their opinions online than in person. It will also affect the people's right of accessing information since the Internet is the most accurate and up to date information source.
• Without the Internet, people in one country wouldn't be able to know what is happening in others countries or even communities around them since the Internet is the fastest source of information. The second best source of information would be newspapers but they take long to circulate around communities and newspapers are expensive to buy. News from the Internet are better in all ways since they have video feed to back them up therefore without the Internet, it will be harder to receive accurate information
Some great comments here.
In my opinion internet is a human right because everyone now lives on internet so it is a fact for everybody these days , but I think internet is helpful for people to discuss together ,expressing their opinions and points of view on social media also the way I see it is that people use internet for entertainment. Some people for sure use internet for their jobs especially elder people so without internet they can’t do their work after all this internet for sure has disadvantages like that some people spend the whole day on social media mostly the teenagers so it is useless to sit on an electronic devise for hours , also when they stay on internet and electronic devices they lose their attention and accuracy and this is a really bad disadvantage. At the end internet is sometimes important in our life but every thing has disadvantages and internet has some advantages and some disadvantages.
I also agree because imagine Masha Amini , while she was in the police station and then getting killed , it would be really painful for her. People have rights to protest for her , it's not fair that woman need to follow strict rules and men don't have to. What if they lose their head scarf , do they still have to get hit ? Just because of what happen to Masha Amini , the Afghan women need to cover their faces in public , when go out to public a man need to follow them every and girls can't go to school even as a female teacher or even when you are about to graduate from University ? They were so excited to graduate and the they heard about the news then they become so upset !
Should internet be a human right i say yes ,i say this because us humans need to be able to call text do all those fun thing us people enjoy, and we gonna need to take a shower and also how would we use the stove or microwave to cook raw food we also need it for health we need for internet health because patients need to connect with their doctor and they to get their information about their health . If we did not have internet how would factories make paper because with out internet that the only way to connect with others and there would be no factories to make anything we need on a daily basis. Hopefully this answer was what you need or want to hear.
Yes! internet should be a human right in the actual sense - without targeting or victimizing religious, cultural, national, and racial sentiments. Internet masters should not allow victimizing a sect or religion, a show of prejudice towards a belief, and at the same time hurting community sentiments should not be on the internet - because all these are HUMAN RIGHTS.
Yes and no. Being required to give someone a computer or phone to play like video games or watch youtube all day shouldn't be a human right. But giving someone a phone so they can use the internet, call people, or stuff that are actually useful should be a human right.
In my opinion the internet should be a human right because the internet gives people the opportunity to express themselves and it let's people tell others how they feel about an unfair law or an issue.
Hello.
• The Internet, some people think that the Internet is a human right, but for me it is not a human right. I will tell you why.... Let's go back (the era when there was no Internet) when people took their rights such as the right to education and the right to express Opinion and other all rights, but after the issuance of the Internet, people became interested in the Internet more than necessary, and it is not a human right because it was not among the thirty rights that were issued.
• Restricting the Internet can affect human rights by not sharing opinions or protests that people should convey to the world, like Iran. They restrict some Internet programs so that the Iranian people do not protest.
• My experience with news without the Internet can differ by not knowing world news, such as climate changes or wars in other countries, or knowing if there is a virus spreading, so my experience will differ.
I think that there are important things for the Internet, as I mentioned in the last part of my words, but it is not right, as I mentioned in the first part of my words
. Thank you.
I agree because..... the internet has been set aside for individuals like us to express ourselves out in the public. It has been provided for us to share information. For example, in secret superstar, she expressed her self through the internet by sharing her pains in form of songs. When she does this it gives her peace of mind because she poured her pain to the internet where no one knows her she feels the people out there can understand what she is going through. After all her posts people supported her she got famous and the abuse she was going through was put to an end. If not for the internet im sure something worse will have happened. So i feel Iranians should be given the liberty to gain access to the internet because if their voices cant be heard physically then it should be heard non physically through the use of the internet.
Although , some people spend so much time on the internet I think it should be a human right because thanks to the internet we are able to learn about all around the world . We are able to to call family members around the world . Also so many hospital machines use internet for example infusion pumps . But I do think there should be an age limit to using it as there is some inappropriate and dangerous content’s out there.
Being very honest I don't think internet should be the right of human although i use internet so much and want it to stay with me all the time but i think if internet would be the right of human than every single man and child would use internet and my personal view is that a child should not use internet at child hood because internet is so vast more than our think . It has everything inside it ,bad or good and children don't know what's good for them.
And if we talk about every single person so everyone should be provided internet and in my country not everyone has access to internet so how could it be the right in my country ???
I'm not sure about this because, internet connection pros for children are a lot more than its cons that can be restricted and have a censorship on. If we agree on what you're saying then during the COVID-19 Pandemic we shouldn't have provided children with internet connection to continue their classes using e-education what leads them to ignorance. I am not negating that internet connection has cons on children, but internet connection with censorship from parents for children would be great. For that it has to be a human right that'll be carried for all people.
Yes i agree with you ,children should have Access to internet but in under of supervisor
But i don't think that it should be the right because right is the thing from which u can't stop anyone to use because it's their right and then . And this make inferiority in children that it's a right and ehy we are being surpervised.
Yes, We will say that it is possible for the internet to be right, but there are many risks for those who use it correctly,so it must be a control for parents when their children use the mobile phone. There are also benefits from using the internet, for example,to express opinion with others, and also do not forget to use it for scientific culture, this. leads for the development of the entire society, We must use the internet correctly.
well i believe that the internet should be a human right as all life sectors nowadays rely on it. But, i don't think that this right should be given to everyone, since internet is a double-edged sword so some teens, bullies and hackers will show the devil side of internet which may lead to destruction, as we know that our rights should be enjoyed but not affecting others negatively, so any right that may have a negative impact of the other must Not be a right and the right must fall. But yes for people who are highly dependable on internet, banning the net may lead them to losing their jobs if they work online (online shopping stores, teachers giving online lectures, ..) and may be the right of education will be affected since after COVID thousands of schools dropped to online teaching and now they're dependable on ipads, websites, ...
I agree... Because social media or internet in general is a platform that everyone can share their voice or opinions about anything and everything internet is a virtual society period use for many things either using it in their free time or learning something online although old generations didn't have internet that's why nowadays generations mostly have different opinions than parents because they can read alot about the topic until they're fully convinced about something yes sometimes using internet alot more than usual can be dangerous because if you dig in this web you can find inappropriate things for your age and you can either get scammed or hacked by a harmful link or so... But that does not change the fact that it's very important and play a huge role in our educational life and as i said before you can share your voice or opinions about anything so i can say with a parental supervision on young teens internet is a human right
I think the internet should be a human right because what if something happens and you don't have the internet to call for someone's help.I also think it should be because people need to talk to all kinds of families members,friends and more.People all around the world need the internet to share their lives with all kinds of people everywhere.If you limit the internet people wouldn't be able to do all that and more.And without the internet how would we see the news without internet to would be hard to spread the word about something bad happening.If you don't have the internet then you have to find other things to do and it would be easier to find something to do with the internet like to see if somethings open or not or to see how cold it is or to see how hot it is.The internet is the best thing to happen to the world.But also kinda the worst thing to.
I think they should have the internet so they can post about what they feel is right. limiting the internet is affecting people because some people get comfort by watching tv. And how would people be able to watch the news and see whats going on.
i agree beacusehey should have the internet so they can post about what they feel
Yes I feel the internet should be a human right because the internet is a source of social media that you can get things across the whole world and have your own opinion on things. The internet is major because it's a way people can freely express the way they feel with or without the exception of others. The internet can also help find a way to deal with and help support the issues going on. In addition the internet is a major part and shouldn't be restricted.
Yes, I feel like the internet should be a human right. The reason I say this is because you could use the internet for so many things like spreading awareness about certain things around the world
Can this be done without the internet?
I agree with this because public recognition is essential to generate enthusiasm and support, stimulate action, and mobilize nearby expertise and resources.
I think that the internet should be a right because many people need to learn about the world they live in.but many people could be manipulated by the internet into believing false claims/statements.It might affect there freedom of speech by limiting the internet.Without the internet you my have a hard time trying to get to the news or it maybe harder to access.
I do think that the internet should be a human right because it can make people from other countries more aware of people outside of their countries, how limiting the internet affects people human rights is it will have the government to stand on his toes as an have to worry about citizens in Iran telling the truth to what's really going on, How my experience of the news be different without the internet is it will be really hard to know what's going on around the world in the present and most people don't believe the stuff that's going around the world excepted the news said it.
Internet access has become an essential part of modern life, necessary to ensure freedom of expression, political participation, health, and other fundamental rights. It provides an invaluable space where marginalized communities initiate social change and identities are created.
Interesting point sensible_otter. Why do you think the internet is particularly important for marginalized communities?
In a moderns world which depends on technology, how could internet not be a human right? Nowadays, one of the bases of people's life is internet as it is the way for people's communication, education, work, shopping, sharing opinions, protesting to change a specific reality... So internet has become one of the most important needs for people's life to continue. As an example, how would education take place during Covid 19 Pandemic in 2020 without the internet connection existence that allowed education to continue its path as e-education in order to not transform the world into an ignorant world. In addition, internet connection has become and effective way for people to protest and be able to change. For instance, a lot of protests on twitter and social media took place against Ukrainian-Russian war that led the world into an economical pandemic. So yes, internet has to be a human right.
I think the internet should be a human right because we need the internet to help with things like emergency calls and like cellular phones, with important work and without it we can't get money for work or online. How limiting the internet affects other people is that, everyone can see that we can use it online for happiness and work. My experience without the internet would be broken because with games i need because without it we would be bored and watch old tv channels.
The internet should be a human right because the internet makes it possible to find information quickly, communicate with people around the world, shop at home, listen to music, and watch videos. Limiting the internet affects people's human rights by stopping information quickly and communicating more. The experience of the news will be different without the internet because information from the news will come slowly and this is dangerous because we won't be prepared if a incident happened and the news won't tell us information fast and immediately.
I think your point about the news being fast and immediate is really interesting, plucky_wallaby. What do you think might be some of the downsides to the news being so available?
I am not able to convince myself that the Internet is one of my basic rights, and at the same time I am not able to dispense with it in my life, but if it becomes one of the rights of citizens such as infrastructure, food and health!! How will things turn out!! What are the plans of governments and countries to provide the Internet for everyone at high speed? Will the right of the Internet affect the rest of the rights?! We are faced with many questions, because the world is also facing strong challenges towards rights that are more needed.
I think that having the internet should not be a right but, to speak and get a message out should be a right if there is something bad going on like the Iranian protests going on right now. The News like Talk Tv would be very limited as lots of news and big things are shared on the programme. Because of this, not everyone will know what is going on right now but I think it is important to know what is happening in the world because if you don't know, there might be danger.
Who should choose what goes on the internet?
the Internet has the biggest role in the Transmission of images of violence or crimes around the world. For this reason, Iran imposed restrictions on the use of the Internet . this prevent the world from knowing that Iran executes women and violates human rights, and there are also penalties for people who publish videos For women burning the hijab and rejecting Iranian law, and these videos were the main reason for spreading what is happening in Iran .
And of course this is true because it made the people of the world everywhere know and demand that Iran stop and this will be the reason for making Iran stop what it is doing to women
I think the internet should be right of human because internet helps to express the opinion in general and also internet is important to communicate with people in different country's and we can also contribute and to share our own ideas.
،I do not believe that the Internet is a human right, but we will treat it as a tool for knowledge for some people and on the one hand for entertainment and on the other hand for talking with relatives, all of what I mentioned is one of the positives of the Internet, but as there are positives there are also serious negatives, for example some people use it Colonial countries to detect the target, or some people use it to threaten, and apart from that... something is happening that some people are beginning to suffer from, which is that the Internet is a means of threat. How? Have you wondered how? Yes, there are some people who threaten with pictures or something So, in my opinion, the Internet is not considered a final right, as science will be learned from teachers, and entertainment can be by using our minds, such as making artwork, while talking with relatives, we can visit them and talk to them. I know that technology is developing, but I say that the Internet is for the appropriate ages. Means who are aware of what they are doing, not for children This is very dangerous for them and it can negatively affect their minds.
Through my experience, I really believe that access to the Internet is a basic right, but with certain controls... One of my goals was to learn a language other than my own.. Through the Internet, I reached the goal, and otherwise I learned that other children younger than my age learned more than one language, and that motivated me more. I did not go to any language learning courses.. or in other words, I did not leave my house... We have entered the knowledge society and we are no longer in an ancient era.. so you find those who treat the Internet as a basic infrastructure! Gradually, the Internet began to transform from a commodity subject to laws into a human right that deserves respect, to the extent that claims are being made to guarantee this right in some countries.
The definition of truth is now taken from a different angle.
Can it become a (digital right) or the right (to a digital identity)?...
The internet is an important thing for us , and it is also consedered a part of hour daily life , because of what it contains of social networking sites , websites and other things . an adult or teenaager belives that the internet is an important thing in his right , and he also connot live without it . from my point of viow , I see the internet as a postive site that can it is negyive , postive such as : intertining and listenning to music , and it also benfits us in other hand , it has many negyives , such as : preoccuptation with things on the internet and distraction from a persons religion and other things , so , for my part , I see that the internet is not one of the rights of a person , but rather a waste of time on trivial things .
I think that the internet should be a human internet but kinda not so because the internet can be a lie some times and be right but everyone in the world could express there self and where people have the opportunity to let people know how they feel about a particular issue,
Yes not allowing the use of internet affects the other rights for example. I cannot name the amount of education and information the internet has given me, a world in which the internet is restricted simply just means a restricted world. Right to employment, using profanity as an example, the job opportunities in Nigeria aren't as much as the government thinks and even those that have jobs still need another source of income hence internet jobs. Using myself as an example, I would not say I am employed but I do make a certain amount of money useful to teenagers my age I answer surveys online and get money for my opinions. Even though it's not as lucrative as other jobs it helps me not to be so dependent on my parents as others my age.
Internet should be a human right because we've already used it and there's no reason to take it away. It also help us learn things in life and try new methods in things. If the internet is limited then it would affect people's rights. For an example, Twitter has been limited for everyone because of Elon Musk. And since he did that, many lost their jobs. Our experience of the news would be very different, we'll probably have to get newspaper, find where they're making it and watch, or go to a TV spot and watch it there along with other people.
I think the internet should be a human right because social media can spread across the whole world and it could have a positive impact.The internet also lets people speak out freely and protest online for other people's rights.
I agree with this because people in Iran should get the same education as people outside of Iran. People outside of Iran don"t get much stuff blocked on their laptops/school electronics. I don"t think it would be fair to not be able to have access to internet but people in the USA or around the world get to experience different apps plus there is a lot of educational apps that can help with math or different subjects. Also the internet is also a part of childhood not everyone can go outside and play basketball or tennis a lot of people can have a broken leg or a broken arm so not everyone can do the same things. The internet can help with a lot of things it's not just ruining our generation.
In my opinion, I feel like that all humans should have the right to internet, Tech, Social media, etc is apart of most of majority people everyday lives. It helps people get through the day and get stuff done quicker, it shouldnt be taken away from those but improved to help others, Getting it taken away or not having it is gonna delay most things. It also helps communicate to others around the world, It can be from strangers to friends or family without having internet wont be able to see people other than around them. I feel like they deserve their rights back I dont feel like that they should be controlled by a 61 year old man.
I think the internet should be a human right because without the internet people wouldn't know what is happening outside the country and if something important is happening outside the country we wouldn't know what is going on.
Limiting the internet would limit what is going on in the outside world like Iran and Russia their people don't or are not even aware of what their country is doing or what is happening outside the country.
Without the internet the population would be left in the dark and unaware about who or what someone is doing since the internet is gone.
Ma momma told me that anyone should have accsess
Well done for talking about this with her! Can you explain her reasons?
I think the internet should be a human right well because people need it just in case something bad might happen.
I would say Yes so that the Internet can be a human right because everyone should be allowed to speak and talk about everything. I feel like everyone should talk for themselves. But THere are some people that doesn't agree with it.
It should be because some of them use the internet to do they business and also they talk to their relatives who are far away from them. Also students use it to do their studies and do their research on things they are not sure about.
Limitations to the internet hinder people's human rights. Those barred from the internet have been deprived of their rights such as education and freedom can demand them and hold protests through the Internet, and they can communicate what they suffer to the outside world. It helps people to gain moral the support they need and to make their voices heard.
I strongly disagree with the thought that the internet should be a right rather we should see it as a privilege and opportunity. Imagine the damage it already does not to think of the more harm it would do if it is allowed to be a right, definitely it has its good sides but lately it has been more of negative. People tend to abuse their rights and interpret it the wrong way especially when it favors them everyone has freedom to speech and expression but at the same time the rights should not be used to insult or indirectly ruin someone. The government in Iran have a reason for placing the restrictions so we should not be to quick to talk and besides the activities of the country is already made nown through the news.
The word really means / pros, and means free.
Therefore, the Internet cannot be a right, as rights are matched by duties and there are no duties in exchange for the Internet. Also, the Internet has negatives and positives, but the right is a complete positive. We can call it (the auxiliary factor or alternative to rights). For example, I cannot move around, but I can see all the places on the Internet. I can not cure, but I search for it through the Internet, the Internet is an infinite life for all that is required in the privacy of the individual
Without the web, we'd be sleeping better, socialising more and we would be more active. The connectivity it gives us is also exploited by those who wish us harm: cybercrime, and cyberbullying would all disappear in a webless world.But I was of the view that every one should spend atleast such a day once in a while without the net connectivity, and feel what it’s like.
I had never tried it. But yesterday the government of my state made me have that experience. The internet connectivity was banned in our state for 24 hours for certain law and order issues. All the internet service providers such switched off their services.
A very good understanding and evidencing of the dangers of being online eager_seed. I also like your suggestion of having time off, you show good problem-solving, well done!
To be honest I have a contradiction in this matter.
Life without internet is moving something other than fingers, its moving all our senses, life without internet is connecting with our society in substantial way, and experiencing the world . Living life in its imperfection, untidiness, chaos, occasional blood, sweat, and tears is what give life its meaning, and here i like to ask a question, can we find that with internet?
No.
Internet is just seeing and hearing, its the anonymity, wasting time, and stealing life joy.
On the other hand, it is following the news, getting information, helper for some students in studying, its following the sports we love, skyping with family. All of us need sometimes to break from life mundanity and to me, i entertain my self in playing pubg or watching tiktok.
So i would like to say that yes, all of us should have the right to use internet and adjust the new world but in a way of limiting time.
Can you challenge yourself and imagine the opposite point of view @excited_memory? In what ways has the internet improved people's lives? If internet access is restricted, what would people lose?
Yes internet should be a human right because In our daily life internet has been a great way to live in more simply way because nowadays everything depends on having internet like working because 50% of people work on their own business on their phones or on their laptops so internet takes a very important role with their working time also when corona epidemic swept the world it prevented students from going to their schools so they suggested an idea which is teaching students online and this also needs internet but some of the countries didn't have internet in their houses for their bad situations so they didn't complete their education.
I don't think the internet should be classified as a human right because even in the technologically advanced world we live in today, there are still millions of people who are not exposed to the internet and still exercise their rights in one way or another. Would you say because they are not exposed to the internet they are not exercising their rights as citizens?
Many people have the wrong conception of the internet and often think it is a platform to exercise their rights. Many people use Media platforms like Twitter to say things and feel they are expressing their views but to me, the internet won't limit the rights of citizens. If they are banned from demonstrating online, then they can demonstrate physically and it is still a way of exercising their rights.
My personal view of the news will change very much without the internet because almost all the trending news is already on the internet even before the press can capture it. Many people's experience of the news will be tampered with without the internet because even newspapers are going out of business. Without the internet, the rate of information dissemination will drastically reduce.
rhetorical_beetle interesting points. Although print journalism (newspapers) has declined over the years, there are still people who do read them. However, as the world becomes more digital, do you think access to the internet will become more important?
I agree because the world has gradually gone beyond the use of various things like the fax machine and it will soon graduate completely from the use of Print media and all the news will be on the internet, and if one wants to be abreast with recent happenings he has to visit the internet. Therefore access to the internet will become more important because even media houses have websites where they display their news just as it is on the papers.
From My Prespective, I think that the Internet should be human right. Internet has helped many people in growing. As we all know, Today's Generation is totally different from Ancient Generation.Whole world is surrounded by technology and is familiar with the internet. Today's students are digital natives. So, Internet has become an cardinal part of modern generation. If every person will have access to it, it can lead to a huge change in the whole world. The internet makes people learn many new things and make their work effective. Also, People can find any types of information on the Internet. Even, Internet had helped many students and teachers during COVID time. It is the best source for online education. Internet provides valuable and knowledgeable content. So, I think Internet should be human right ...
The Internet is a great responsible for moving cases and crimes, and this is considered a crime because no one can force you to do something you do not want. In short, freedom of opinion is one of human rights, and no one can come and infringe on it. The issue of hijab is a personal freedom that no person or state can impose on any girl. And the killing of the girl is considered a crime against all women first, and from here I say yes, we must speak through the means of communication to change some laws that do not respect human rights
1- The Internet is a double-edged sword. It has positives and negatives. Some of its positives are a source of entertainment and profit. Through the Internet there are many professions, but its negatives are a waste of time and penetration of privacy. Threats and harassment may occur via the Internet, addiction in the sense of using it constantly and this affects a person’s normal life, cyberbullying - and how Solving the disadvantages of Internet addiction: specifying a specific time and time to play, threats and harassment: protecting accounts and data with strong passwords 2- It affects human rights, for example, a person expresses his opinion through social networking sites, and if there is no Internet, he will remain muted 3- My experience differs without the Internet: it will not reach us The event is in its moment, and we will not know what is happening to the world without the Internet
Social Media has become a place of basic interactions of opinions. People feel comfortable presenting their points of view on social media. Taking away the freedom to express ourselves violates our basic human right to speech and expression. I feel that by suppressing people's voices, the Iranian government is promoting censorship. This is unfair and demolishes democracy. It also breaches the First Amendment which protects your right to assemble and express your views through protest. With the internet today we all are able to stay informed about the whereabouts of the world but without it, life will be more difficult. Therefore I would like to conclude by saying that the internet should not be banned in any country and should be established as a law as it constitutes an essential part of the infrastructure of freedom of speech and expression.
I feel it should be a human right because it has so many benefits and I also think it is linked to the human right to employment. I had a conversation with one of my friends on this issue she said:
"The internet should not be a human right because we are still struggling to provide the basic necessities of life for ourselves not to talk more of making the internet a right for everyone."
This comment was bugging me and I did not agree with what she said but I understood why she said this and I kindly explained to her that the internet can help people make money. This is one of the most common reasons why people would object to the internet being a basic human right, especially in a country like Nigeria where there is a high rate of unemployment, the internet help people get jobs we see cases of people that are content creators on social media and are being paid for creating good content and having a large number of followers, some people are even paid for just walking. There is an app known as "sweatcoin" where you just have to walk and you earn "sweatcoins" that you can turn into actual money. Even as a young girl I earn money online even though it is not a large sum of money but it is still something. When there are so many opportunities available for a better standard of living for people on the internet then I strongly feel that it should be a human right. It will help a lot of people come out of suffering especially in Nigeria.
Yes, the Internet is a human right, because a person through the Internet accesses information, learns new things, and knows what is happening in his country in terms of news but also, The Internet has bad sides and good sides.
Good aspects like what I say searching for information, learning something new, talking with relatives, and communicating have become much easier, but also, as I said, there are bad aspects such as using the Internet in a bad way and in an incorrect way, and this causes destruction to society.
Accordingly, this destroys children's minds and personalities and works to destroy society and it becomes undeveloped. Other than that, it has disadvantages, such as cybercrime, which has become very common these days, and it occurs by provoking one person to another electronically.
Therefore, the Internet is a double-edged sword that has it's positive and negative .
I think it is assumed that the Internet is a human right that must be obtained. Because Internet devotees will contribute to an anonymous and dark world, I think that restricting the Internet will affect other human rights of people as it will prevent people from communicating with each other. The United Nations has long sought to bring the Internet to all parts of the world. Our experiences will differ from person to person if there is no internet, and also the news will be uneven and true
I do not agree, because the Internet is a double-edged sword, that is, as it carries positives, it also carries negatives on the world level, human beings and society; and it is possible that it will affect the world through these negatives. Work, poverty and unemployment prevail because of this “internet” curse.
Can you explain a bit more about what you mean by the negatives @shrewd_cloudberry?
One of the most prominent of these negative results of the Internet is addiction, as the addicted users of internet neglect other hobbies they have especially childrens.Also, internet let's the kids forget their basic needs ; they neglect eating, sleeping,and even going to the bathroom and it can really make the kids irritable and angry when they play games like PUBG or Fortnite.
To me, I am not sure if the internet should be a human right. Yes, after a certain age it is mandatory, but I think children below 14 should not have phones. I think this because if a child below 14 gets scammed without them knowing about it, it could result in serious consequences for them. Including losing their money or the hacker knowing your account details.
If you are hacking people, you will be breaking the law of 'Computer Misuse Act'. Potentially, based on the crime, you could go to jail. To add on, there may be explicit content on a website or video that they are watching which would be quite inappropriate for them.
Overall, I don't think that the internet is a human right.
Can you challenge yourself to imagine the opposite point of view @contemplative_signature?
The Internet may be a human right because person through the Internet reaches a lot of things like information, learns new things, educates themselves, and knows what is happening in their country.
Also, make people close to each other, and the world has become thanks to the Internet because it makes them a small village that facilitates communication with each other, also without the Internet may be injustice can spread because what is happening in the country isn't covered by the Internet and exposed, which causes injustice to many people, so I think that the Internet can be a human right
Yes,as young and old should get the chance to express themselves and should get to live life freely.
warmhearted_fruit can you explain more why you feel that the internet allows people to live their lives freely?
The Internet has many benefits and positives, and it facilitates communication with others. Banning the Internet has damages such as what happens in some countries, and this results in the spread of ignorance and makes life difficult. Children must be monitored by parents on the Internet. In conclusion, we conclude that the Internet is a human right.
1)Yes,because we should get to live our lives in freedom.
2)It would effect as the Iranian government aren't stopping this and with the Internet we can share why they should stop the issues around the world especially IRAN.
3) It will be different as I might say something other people would think something else, Iranian government wouldn't do anything about it so Iranian woman will suffer.
Mahsa Amini,who was 22 years old, shouldn't have been killed for not wearing a hijab,all woman should live in freedom.
Afghan woman are also suffering and it should be stopped.
I agree ,I think that the internet should be an option to everybody .They should be able to express themselves because the internet can help people inhale or exhale .Meaning they should be able to learn something that could help them or could fail them .They should have that option and whatever they choose should be on them .I also think that they should be able to used the internet because when the woman got injured by the authority's nobody would know about it because how would it get around besides news but social media is more popular then the cable .
The internet should be a human right, because a lot of people have gotten a lot of information from the internet than from what they probably would've gotten without it. Limiting the internet would affect other people's humans rights negatively, because without the internet, a lot of human rights would probably not exist. If I didn't have internet, I wouldn't be getting a lot of news then I am getting now.
Overtime the internet has become a human right. Overtime we have become more reliant on the internet. Overtime countries have implied their inequalities with one another through the comparisons of the rate of technology development. Lower income and poorly developed countries imply their lack of internet rights through various factors, including a lack of political participation and unheard voices about their struggles. These struggles can vary from personal experiences in daily lives, such as poor working conditions, to larger scale issues such as unstable trade agreements. These peripheral countries cannot voice their issues as much as core countries can, due to the fact that core countries have more internet rights. In modern life, the internet is being relied on to spread messages across the world, therefore if LICs do not have this access to the internet then this essentially catalyses the inequality of human rights between the different regions of the world.
Furthermore, this raises the question as to whether the internet itself is a human right, or whether the internet impacts human rights. It could be argued that the internet impacts those included in The Human Rights Act (1998), such as the freedom of expression and the right to freedom of assembly and association. The internet can inevitably increase the number of people having access to these rights, but the differing rates of technology development is also indicative of the polarity of basic human rights when comparing the wealthy and not so wealthy countries.
Moreover, I would argue that the internet itself is now a human right, and will most definitely be classed as a human right in the future. This is all due to the number of people using and have access to the internet - the peripheral countries at the moment will eventually be able to access the internet more in the future. However, I think that there will always be inequality because not every country will ever be as developed as one another, and so this links to the fact that some people will have more technological rights than others - just like every other human right.
I am on a positive side why internet should be a human right because if it was not internet, many people's jobs are caried out on online like online shopping, banking and via zoom learning. Also different people get news from online, on my side internet helped me to study during covid-19 because our country was locked down for two years and my school had organised via zoom learning. Also internet should be a human right because denying people a right of internet is like denying them to know what is happening in the world.
I feel the internet should be a right because the world is changing and for you not to be left behind you have to be upgrading what you have from time to time but anyone who feels internet should be restricted from the public is an agent of backwardness. The internet helps each and every one of us in our various working sectors. It is also a means of communication and it can be used as a means of fighting gender inequality because it is currently the fastest means of communication. It is also the medium through which we are able to express ourselves on this Global Conversation through a website called Topical Talk.
Internet is one of the things that have progressed humanity the most yet harmed us in ways which are unimaginable. Internet has to be a human right regardless the demerits of it. Because of internet we are able to communicate, express ourselves and meet with people of different countries, culture, religions and helps to unite them and create a spirit of bondage. The advantages just simply outweigh the demerits and nowadays internet just like water is essential for our living. The ban of social media by Iran according to me is absolutely a violation of various free spech rights and opinions can be published on the internet and one can raise their voice. Therefore, according to me people would just be locked without any news of the outer world without the Internet, and it is a part of society that will later on be the face of many changes.
I feel the internet should be a human right. This is because the internet is the fastest way to spread information. The internet is multipurpose medium which was created for a variety of uses. It can be used in almost all sectors of the world. I feel that if people are restricted from the use of internet in a place," there is a skeleton in the cupboard". Although it can be made a human right, there could be age restrictions because some little children could be influenced negativ ely by it.
I think that internet access should be a human right. The Internet is a very potent tool and can be used to promote unity among people across the world. It allows us to know what happens and where thus enabling people to stay up to date. The governments of certain countries have noticed this and decided to censor the Internet, effectively stranding their people on an information island, detached from the rest of the world. Citizens of such nations hear and see only what the government wants them to see. This makes them easy targets for brainwashing and oppression as they have no voice to make their grievances heard. Also, they are unable to speak up against the government as communication channels are monitored too. Hence, denying someone Internet access robs them of their right to free speech and freedom of expression.
It’s clear that we must build a better, safer, more empowering digital world.
We need governments, companies, civil society, and citizens to work together now to create this digital future. A future where internet access is understood — and realised — as a basic human right.
If it is recognised as a human right, governments may be faced with the dilemma of having to ensure access to it before they have been able to cover life’s most basic needs