Vint Cerf On Human Rights: Internet Access Isn't On the List

Gallenod writes "In an op-ed for the New York Times, Vint Cerf writes that civil protests around the world, sparked by Internet communications, 'have raised questions about whether Internet access is or should be a civil or human right.' Cerf argues that 'technology is an enabler of rights, not a right itself,' and contends that for something to be considered a human right, it 'must be among the things we as humans need in order to lead healthy, meaningful lives, like freedom from torture or freedom of conscience. It is a mistake to place any particular technology in this exalted category, since over time we will end up valuing the wrong things.'"

Comments

Re:Well that's funny, cos my country just

[tmosley]

The UN is run by fools who don't understand the difference between positive and negative rights.

Read: positive rights don't exist, but are merely a means for politicians to use other people's money to buy favor. "The right to access the internet shall not be infringed" is an example of a negative right. "The right to 100Tb/sec internet" is not. I'm hoping all who read this can tell the difference, and can apply that lesson to other realms of massive transfer of wealth.