The internet is a powerful tool upon which a lot more is built.
Having access to it should be a fundamental human right.
As of the time the human rights act was made, there was no specific mention of the internet. This could be because the internet was not yet popular and was still in it's formative years.
Regardless, the rights include statements that cover for internet usage such as
Right of Expression: the internet is no doubt one of the most powerful (if not THE most powerful) tools for expression in our world today. People air their views on issues as it concerns them.
The internet gives voice to everyone.Right to education: learning has been made a lot easier by the internet. You can study almost anything you wish through YouTube, online tutorials etc. Hence internet access offers education opportunities.
Right to employment; internet has made remote work a thing. People now sit at home and work online. This has given many people from all works of life employment opportunities.
Right to Health: telemedicine which is anchored on the internet is an evolving space that enables people seek professional health care from their homes.
There are so many more rights that cover purposes which the internet serves.
About three or four years ago, the Nigerian government banned the usage of Twitter, now X in the country. This was because at the time, there was nationwide protest concerning police brutality and bad governance.
For this protest, the youths used twitter as a meeting point to kickstart the protest and raise funds. Showing the power of social media.
Instead of solving the issue, the government resorted to placing a ban on twitter; so as to prevent expression and communication. A fundamental human right.
We know very well that any act that infringes on the right of another is illegal and having seen the entrenchment of the internet into our fundamental rights, it is obvious that any limit placed on the internet becomes an abuse of power.
Such limit can be compared to telling the person to shut up and not express himself.
What do you think the world would be like if such a ruling was passed? What will the effects be?
Honestly, if a ban or limitation to access or use of the internet is placed, we will be travelling backwards in time. And frankly speaking, it would be extremely difficult for us to survive because we have adapted to life with the internet.
Imagine all the shopping we do online, you will now have to start going out to buy things.
Those who are dependent on remote jobs would also loose their jobs and source of livelihood while businesses that use social media marketing or run dispatch sales through online ads would suffer.
It will affect almost every aspect of our lives.
Is it something that we can live with in the long run?
Of course but it will take a great deal of adaptation on our part but we will be able to live with it. Afterall we were living without it in the past.
Imagine going back to reading newspaper or waiting for 9 o'clock pm to know what has happened in the country. The Internet has made dissemination of information to be as fast as possible.
I am sure that if the universal declaration of human rights was made today, we will see things like right to use the internet as one of the fundamental rights of humans.
I agree with you, that if the Internet was included as a universal right, we would upload as a society one more evolutionary step. I hope they did it but I don't think this is included in the Woke agenda.
It may not be part of the woke agenda but it should be.
Honestly I do I think it's part of wokeism.
This is what I was saying: if the internet were taken from the people, it would be violating so many human rights. One wrong can throw the country into panic mode.
Exactly. It is one the things the people use to survive despite the bad governance.
Yeah
Very true