Vint Cerf: Internet access isn't a human right | The Digital Home Although some countries around the world argue that Internet access is a fundamental right , one of the "fathers of the Internet," Vint Cerf, doesn't see it that way. "Technology is an enabler of rights, not a right itself," Cerf, who is also a Google's chief Internet evangelist, wrote yesterday in an editorial in The New York Times. "There is a high bar for something to be considered a human right. But not everyone is so quick to agree. The same year, the European Union's European Commission Vice President Viviane Reding wrote to the European Parliament, saying that Internet access is no different than other basic freedoms we value. "The new rules recognise explicitly that Internet access is a fundamental right such as the freedom of expression and the freedom to access information," Reding wrote at the time. But perhaps Reding and those who agree with her are missing the point. Speaking of civil rights, Cerf made headlines last month, as well, when he wrote a letter to the U.S.
EU decides against stricter net neutrality rules | Technology Commissioner Neelie Kroes said she will look out for instances of ISPs blocking or throttling access to services such as Skype. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images The European commission has decided against introducing legislation to protect net neutrality, saying media scrutiny and giving consumers enough information about their internet service provider will be sufficient to protect an "open and neutral" internet. Legislation to prevent telecoms companies from introducing a tiered internet, with some content arriving faster than others, has been ruled out. In a long-awaited report on its approach to net neutrality, the EU executive on Tuesday said "traffic management", or the prioritising of some packets of information over others, "is necessary to ensure the smooth flow of internet traffic, particularly at times when networks become congested". However, the commission has asked BEREC, the European electronic communications regulatory group, to investigate the extent of the issue.
Vint Cerf: Internet access is not a human right One of the fathers of the internet, Vinton Cerf, widely known for creating the TCP/IP protocol took the opportunity in a recent NYT article to dismiss the idea that the internet is a civil or human right, saying that some people are missing the point entirely. He argues that use of the internet is not a human right, but is merely a method of communication, and entities such as the United Nations should be concentrating on more fundamental worldwide problems and not on making broadband communications a human right. "Technology is an enabler of rights, not a right itself," he writes. "There is a high bar for something to be considered a human right. Cerf continued, "The best way to characterize human rights is to identify the outcomes that we are trying to ensure. There is no doubt that the internet has been instrumental to the protests seen in the Middle East and parts of Northern Africa in the last year.
European Commission Favors Consumer Choice Over Net Neutrality Legislation European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes won't legislate net neutrality for all, but those who want "access to a robust, best-efforts Internet with all the applications they wish" should have the opportunity to buy such a service, she said Tuesday. It is important to ensure that Internet users can always choose full internet access, Kroes wrote in a blog post. "I don't like to intervene in competitive markets unless I am sure this is the only way to help either consumers or companies. Preferably both," she wrote. It is better to regulate in favor of consumer choice instead of forcing each and every operator to provide full Internet access, Kroes said. Kroes cited data from a new report from the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) that surveyed fixed and mobile operators as part of a study to find out whether net neutrality legislation is required in the E.U. However, for most Europeans, their Internet access works well most of the time, Kroes said.
Vint Cerf: 'The internet is not a human right' 10 Ways to Build a Better Big Data Security Strategy Vint Cerf is warning that people who insist that the internet is some sort of human or civil right are missing the point. In an op-ed piece in The New York Times, Cerf – regarded by many as one of the fathers of the internet for his role in creating TCP/IP – explained that technology isn’t a human right in itself, but merely an enabler for more concrete things such as communication. He criticized the UN and others for taking the position that broadband communications is a human right, saying that we should instead focus on more fundamental problems. “Technology is an enabler of rights, not a right itself,” he writes. “There is a high bar for something to be considered a human right. It might be argued that internet access was a civil right, since it is something that people look to governments to provide as a matter of course. “Improving the Internet is just one means, albeit an important one, by which to improve the human condition.
Pressure for EU net neutrality rules 13 December 2011Last updated at 11:20 ET Europe could be moving closer towards regulation on net neutrality The European Council of Ministers has called for the principle of net neutrality to become law, adding to pressure on the European Commission to act. The council called on member states to ensure "an open and neutral net". Proponents of net neutrality want to see all internet traffic treated equally, regardless of its type. The European Parliament has made similar calls, while some countries are drawing up national guidelines. The Council of Europe is made of ministers from all member states and shares legislative power with the parliament. European consumer groups said that the council's endorsement of this principle meant pressure was mounting on the European Commission to act. Monique Goyens, director general of the European Consumers' Organisation (BEUC), said: "EU member states have today called an open internet a priority for national parliaments. Traffic management
UN report declares internet access a human right A United Nations report said on Friday that disconnecting people from the internet is a human rights violation and against international law. The report railed against France and the United Kingdom, which have passed laws to remove accused copyright scofflaws from the internet. It also protested blocking internet access to quell political unrest. While blocking and filtering measures deny users access to specific content on the internet, states have also taken measures to cut off access to the internet entirely. The Special Rapporteur considers cutting off users from internet access, regardless of the justification provided, including on the grounds of violating intellectual property rights law, to be disproportionate and thus a violation of article 19, paragraph 3, of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The report continues: Source: Wired.com
Net neutrality becomes law in The Netherlands The Netherlands has become the first country in Europe to enshrine the concept of net neutrality in national law. Bits of Freedom, a Dutch digital rights movement has been campaigning for this law, and considers it “a historical moment for internet freedom in The Netherlands and calls on other countries to follow the Dutch example.” The issue came to a head last year when major telecomms providers said they would charge extra for customers who used VoIP for their telephony. The public objected and the Dutch parliament reacted – with three proposals that are now law. Secondly, deep packet inspection (DPI) by the ISPs is prohibited other than in limited circumstances such as a court order or with the approval of the user (which may be withdrawn at any time). Thirdly, users’ interconnect connections are now better protected. Welcomed by civil liberties groups, and seen as a response by politicians to public demand, the Dutch net neutrality provisions are not without critics in Europe.
Is Internet access a fundamental human right? Should Internet access be seen as a fundamental human right, in the same category as the right to free speech or clean drinking water? The United Nations says it should, but in a New York Times op-ed, one of the fathers of the Internet argues it shouldn’t. Vint Cerf is the co-creator of the TCP/IP standard the global computer network is built on, so when he says something about the impact of the Internet, it’s probably worth paying attention to. But is he right? Cerf’s position is somewhat surprising because, as even he acknowledges in his piece for the NYT, the events of the “Arab Spring” in 2011 reinforced just how powerful internet access can be when it comes to enabling dissidents in places like Egypt and Tunisia to co-ordinate their efforts and bring down authoritarian governments — despite attempts by dictators in those countries to shut down their access. Cerf: Access is not a right, but it enables other rights [T]echnology is an enabler of rights, not a right itself.
Dutch pass net neutrality law, block Pirate Bay Last updated 05:00 12/05/2012 Having passed net neutrality into law yesterday, the Dutch have effectively legislated that there be no restrictions put in place by ISPs (or regulators) on access to the internet. Bizarrely, the Dutch have also ruled that Netherlands based ISPs must block access to The Pirate Bay. Ironically, although the net neutrality law prevents the throttling of data traffic or premium charges being applied for specific online services, websites can still be blocked with a court order. The ruling comes into effect over the space of a month (Dutch authorities have created the delay so that all affected parties can be officially notified) and ISPs who flout the ruling will be hit with a stiff €10,000 (NZ$ 16,487.55) per day fine, to a maximum of €250,000 (NZ$ 412,188.84).
The Internet IS a (Human) RIght... It isn’t often that I find myself disagreeing with something that Vint Cerf, one of the ‘fathers of the internet’ has said, but when I read his much publicised Op Ed piece in the New York Times, I did. First of all, and perhaps most importantly, I didn’t like the headline, which stated baldly and boldly that ‘Internet Access is not a Human Right’. Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with that statement, the piece said a great deal more than that – indeed, the main thrust of the argument was about the importance of the internet, and of internet access, to human rights. Secondly, I think the point that he makes leading to this headline, and to his conclusions, reflects a particularly US perspective on 'human rights' - a minimalist approach which emphasises civil and political rights and downplays (or even denies) economic and social rights amongst others. That Cerf doesn't see it this way is not surprising given that he is American - but I think his argument is weaker than that.
UK Human Rights Blog A recent United Nations Human Rights Council report examined the important question of whether internet access is a human right. Whilst the Special Rapporteur’s conclusions are nuanced in respect of blocking sites or providing limited access, he is clear that restricting access completely will always be a breach of article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the right to freedom of expression. But not everyone agrees with the United Nations’ conclusion. Vinton Cerf, a so-called “father of the internet” and a Vice-President at Google, argued in a New York Times editorial that internet access is not a human right: The best way to characterize human rights is to identify the outcomes that we are trying to ensure. These include critical freedoms like freedom of speech and freedom of access to information — and those are not necessarily bound to any particular technology at any particular time. There have been some interesting responses to Cerf’s op-ed. Like this: