91吃瓜网

In 2016, the United Nation鈥檚 General Assembly adopted a non-binding resolution regarding 鈥楾he Promotion, Protection and Enjoyment of Human Rights on the Internet鈥�. At the heart of this resolution is the UN鈥檚 concern that 鈥渞ights that people have offline must also be protected online.鈥� While the UN thus recognises the importance of the Internet, it does so problematically selectively by focusing on protecting existing offline rights online. I argue instead that Internet access is itself a moral human right that requires that everyone has unmonitored and uncensored access to this global medium, which should be publicly provided free of charge for those unable to afford it. Rather than being a mere luxury, Internet access should be considered a universal entitlement because it is necessary for people to be able to lead minimally decent lives. Accepting this claim transforms our conception of the Internet from a technology to that of a basic right.