For now, internet access is something much like owning a telephone line. It is a service that is there, available, if you can pay for it and if an operator is willing to provide it in your area.
However, with the growing reliance of human society on the internet, the difference between people who have net access and the people who don’t is slowly getting bigger and bigger. Many are already saying that they would be unable to function without internet access. Others believe that they would be unable to relate to their family and friends if they are unable to use their social networking accounts. Many people are afflicted with some bizarre social disorder that compels them to go online and update their Facebook status or Tweet a message for every minor event that they encounter in life.
Talks about turning internet access into a right have been around for quite some time. But with the recent growth spurt of internet access thanks to the prevalence of smart phones, net books, WiFi and 3G networks, the number of people online has grown; making the argument much more significant.
But despite the many reasons being considered for turning net access into a right, the fact that the government would be enforcing that right would also mean that the government would have to facilitate and regularize internet content.
Free speech is one thing, but the level of interactivity on the internet is on such a difference scale that if it is considered to be a fundamental right and is made accessible to many people, it would certainly call for some level of moderation and administration to be made acceptable –a sanction many current users of the internet would find restricting and discouraging.
Get to read more about the discussion on the right to access the internet at the Telegraph UK.
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