Internet users around the world are attracted by the availability of information
Almost four in five people around the world believe that access to the internet is a fundamental right, a poll for the BBC World Service suggests. The survey - of more than 27,000 adults across 26 countries - found strong support for net access on both sides of the digital divide. Countries such as Finland and Estonia have already ruled that access is a human right for their citizens. International bodies such as the UN are also pushing for universal net access. "The right to communicate cannot be ignored," Dr Hamadoun Toure, secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), told BBC News. "The internet is the most powerful potential source of enlightenment ever created." He said that governments must "regard the internet as basic infrastructure - just like roads, waste and water". "We have entered the knowledge society and everyone must have access to participate."
The survey also revealed divisions on the question of government oversight of some aspects of the net. Web users questioned in South Korea and Nigeria felt strongly that governments should never be involved in regulation of the internet. However, a majority of those in China and the many European countries disagreed. In the UK, for example, 55% believed that there was a case for some government regulation of the internet. Rural retreat The finding comes as the UK government tries to push through its controversial Digital Economy Bill. As well as promising to deliver universal broadband in the UK by 2012, the bill could also see a so-called "three strikes rule" become law. This rule would give regulators new powers to disconnect or slow down the net connections of persistent illegal file-sharers. Other countries, such as France, are also considering similar laws. A season of reports from 8-19 March 2010 exploring the extraordinary power of the internet, including: Digital giants - top thinkers in the business on the future of the web Mapping the internet - a visual representation of the spread of the web over the last 20 years On/Off - the BBC links a Nigerian village to the internet, and cuts off two Korean families for a week
Queen expresses internet concerns Recently, the EU adopted an internet freedom provision, stating that any measures taken by member states that may affect citizen's access to or use of the internet "must respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens". In particular, it states that EU citizens are entitled to a "fair and impartial procedure" before any measures can be taken to limit their net access. The EU is also committed to providing universal access to broadband. However, like many areas around the world the region is grappling with how to deliver high-speed net access to rural areas where the market is reluctant to go. Analysts say that is a problem many countries will increasingly have to deal with as citizens demand access to the net. The BBC survey found that 87% of internet users felt internet access should be the "fundamental right of all people". More than 70% of non-users felt that they should have access to the net. Overall, almost 79% of those questioned said they either strongly agreed or somewhat agreed with the description of the internet as a fundamental right - whether they currently had access or not. Free speech Countries such as Mexico, Brazil and Turkey most strongly support the idea of net access as a right, the survey found. More than 90% of those surveyed in Turkey, for example, stated that internet access is a fundamental right - more than those in any other European Country. Facebook has become a lightning rod for causes of all types South Korea - the most wired country on Earth - had the greatest majority of people (96%) who believed that net access was a fundamental right. Nearly all of the country's citizens already enjoy high-speed net access. The survey also revealed that the internet is rapidly becoming a vital part of many people's lives in a diverse range of nations. In Japan, Mexico and Russia around three-quarters of respondents said they could not cope without it. Most of those questioned also said that they believed the web had a positive impact, with nearly four in five saying it had brought them greater freedom. However, many web users also expressed concerns. The dangers of fraud, the ease of access to violent and explicit content and worries over privacy were the most concerning aspects for those questioned. A majority of users in Japan, South Korea and Germany felt that they could not express their opinions safely online, although in Nigeria, India and Ghana there was much more confidence about speaking out.
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Datei:Internet blackholes 5 (2008).png|miniatur|rechts|450px|Karte der „blinden Flecken“ des Internetzugangs. Bedeutung der Farbcodes:blau = Zugang zum Internet ohne Restriktionengelb = geringfügige bis stärkere Einschränkungenschwarz = schwarze Löcher (stark restriktiver Zugang)Daten laut Reporter ohne Grenzen (2008)

 Der Zugang zum Internet wird von vielen Menschen inzwischen als fundamentales Grundrecht angesehen. Das geht aus einer Studie hervor, die im Auftrag des englischen Nachrichtensenders British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) erstellt wurde. Im Rahmen der Studie wurden 27.000 Erwachsene in 26 Ländern befragt. 79 Prozent der Befragten stimmten der Aussage zu, dass der Zugang zum Internet ein Grundrecht sei. Die Umfrage wurde von GlobeScan durchgeführt.

Diese grundsätzliche Bedeutung des Internets für die Informationsfreiheit wird sowohl von Internetbenutzern als auch von Menschen geteilt, die keinen Zugang zum World Wide Web haben. 87 Prozent der Internetnutzer halten es für richtig, den Zugang zum Internet zu einem Grundrecht für alle Bürger zu erklären. In der Gruppe der Menschen ohne Internetzugang forderten 70 Prozent den Zugang zum Netz.

Besonders große Unterstützung für die Einschätzung des Internetzugangs als Grundrecht wurde innerhalb Europas von Bürgern der Türkei zum Ausdruck gebracht. Hier waren 90 Prozent der Befragten der Meinung, der Internet-Zugang sollte als Grundrecht betrachtet werden. Besonders ausgebaut ist die „Internet-Infrastruktur“ in Südkorea, wo das Internet mit einer alle anderen Länder überragenden Datenübertragungsrate von 14,6 Mbps dreimal schneller zugänglich ist als in den meisten anderen Ländern. 96 Prozent der Südkoreaner sind der Ansicht, dass der Zugang zum „Netz“ zu den fundamentalen Grundrechten gehört.

Neben der überwiegend geäußerten Wertschätzung des Internets als Informationsmedium wurde auch Besorgnis im Umgang mit dem Internet zum Ausdruck gebracht. Als Hauptprobleme im Umgang mit dem Internet wurden in der Reihenfolge der häufigsten Nennungen Betrug, gewalttätige und sexuelle Inhalte, Bedrohung der Privatsphäre, staatliche Zensur und das Ausmaß der Präsenz von kommerziellen Unternehmen genannt.

Der Generalsekretär der Internationalen Fernmeldeunion (ITU), Hamadoun Toure, sagte gegenüber BBC: „Das Internet ist die mächtigste potentielle Quelle der Aufklärung, die jemals geschaffen wurde.“ Seiner Ansicht nach sollten Regierungen das Internet als „grundlegende Infrastruktur betrachten – genauso wie Straßen, Abfallentsorgung und Wasser.“