The internet: a new frontier for human rights

A new frontier for human rightsA new frontier for human rights

Paul Bernal UEAPaul Bernal UEA

Access to the net is a human rightAccess to the net is a human right

• A legal right in various countries: Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Spain...

• WSIS has been pushing the idea since 2003

• In June 2011 Frank La Rue, UN Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression effectively put the UN behind the idea

• A legal right in various countries: Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Spain...

• WSIS has been pushing the idea since 2003

• In June 2011 Frank La Rue, UN Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression effectively put the UN behind the idea

An opportunity...An opportunity...

• Opportunities for human flourishing: informative, creative, communicative, social

• Supportive of fundamental freedoms - civil liberties

• Freedom of assembly

• Freedom of association

• Freedom of religion, thought

• Tools for the ‘little people’ - for equality

• Opportunities for human flourishing: informative, creative, communicative, social

• Supportive of fundamental freedoms - civil liberties

• Freedom of assembly

• Freedom of association

• Freedom of religion, thought

• Tools for the ‘little people’ - for equality

...and a threat...and a threat

• Unprecedented opportunities for monitoring and tracking

• Increasingly in the hands of big business

• Powerful lobbies involved

• The security lobby - the spectre of terrorism

• The copyright lobby

• Unprecedented opportunities for monitoring and tracking

• Increasingly in the hands of big business

• Powerful lobbies involved

• The security lobby - the spectre of terrorism

• The copyright lobby

Free but potentially risky?Safe but controlled - and a tool for

control....

Free but potentially risky?Safe but controlled - and a tool for

control....

Asserting online rightsAsserting online rights

• A right to roam the internet with privacy

• A right to monitor and control those who monitor us

• A right to delete personal data

• A right to an online identity

• A right to be found (when we want to be found)

• A right to roam the internet with privacy

• A right to monitor and control those who monitor us

• A right to delete personal data

• A right to an online identity

• A right to be found (when we want to be found)

Lecturer in Law, UEA Law School

[email protected]@paulbernalUK

Lecturer in Law, UEA Law School

[email protected]@paulbernalUK

SLS Conference 2011SLS Conference 2011