15th March, 2010

Four in five people believe access to the internet is fundamental right, according to a global survey.

A poll of 27,000 people in 26 countries conducted for BBC World Service found 87 per cent of people who used the internet felt access should be the “fundamental right of all people” and more than 70 per cent of non-internet users felt they should also have the right to web access.

Among countries where the most people regarded internet access as a right included South Korea, Mexico and China.

Nearly 80 per cent of those surveyed felt the internet had brought them greater freedom, 90 per cent said the internet was a good place to learn and 51 per cent said they enjoyed using social networking sites in their spare time.

While most Indians, Ghanaians and Kenyans all felt they could express opinions safely on the web, in Japan, South Korea, France and Germany the majority of web users did not feel they could express opinions safely online.

Most internet users did not feel the web should be regulated by government and 44 per cent said they didn’t think they could cope without the internet.

~ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8548190.stm

- DAVID ADAMS