Free Internet Access as a Human Right

Merten Reglitz defends a new human right to internet access as essential for fulfilling our basic moral interests.

Merten Reglitz (Author)

9781009520553, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 21 November 2024

386 pages
23.5 x 15.9 x 2.6 cm, 0.7 kg

'Reglitz's book represents an insightful and laudable vision of the Internet and the numerous arguments towards solidifying the novel approach of free internet access as a human right. It is indeed an important contribution to the ongoing debate about the recognition of the Internet in contemporary society and provides a pathway for future research on this issue.' Md Salauddin Saimum, Human Rights Review

Merten Reglitz proposes a new human right that ensures Internet access for those who cannot afford it and protects that right from arbitrary interferences by those that would exploit it for harm. The first part of the book justifies the claim for this new right by showing how Internet access is vital for the enjoyment of human rights around the globe. In the second part, Reglitz specifies the content of this right, assessing today's standard threats to Internet access. He recommends a minimum international standard of connectivity and explains how states have misused the Internet. He documents how private companies already manipulate both internet access and content to maximise profit, and how lack of rights enforcement allows people to harm others online. The book establishes that a new human right to free internet access is essential to secure its role for the benefit and progress, not detriment, of humanity.

Part I. Justifications: 1. Human rights as protections of a minimally decent human life
2. Derivative rights & linkage arguments for rights
3. Internet access and civil & political human rights
4. Internet access and socio-economic human rights
Part II. Obligations: 5. Poverty as a standard threat
6. States as standard threats
7. Private companies as standard threats
8. Other internet users as standard threats.

Subject Areas: Human rights & civil liberties law [LNDC]