Con la aparición de Internet, que existe desde hace bastante tiempo, también surgió la necesidad de una nueva forma de derechos. Internet sigue creciendo y desarrollándose, y sus usuarios necesitan una forma decente de protección de sus derechos mientras están en línea. Teniendo en cuenta que los derechos humanos básicos no cubrían adecuadamente esta necesidad, hubo que inventar los derechos digitales.
Conceptos y principios básicos de los derechos digitales y la libertad digital
The term digital rights include human rights that would allow Internet users to access, create, use, as well as freely publish digital media. This, of course, also includes the right to access and use electronic devices like computers, as well as entire communication networks.
Already existing rights like freedom of expression and the right to individual privacy were also included but in a completely new context. Finally, in the spirit of the modern age, the right to Internet access has also been recognized and listed as a basic human right by multiple countries’ law.
Digital freedom, therefore, includes the rights to have universal access to technology and information, as well as the aforementioned right to privacy, but also freedom of expression, opinion, and the right to innovation, creativity, as well as development.
Algunos países, como Egipto, también han incluido otros factores relevantes que influirían directamente en estos derechos. Se trata de aspectos como la calidad de los servicios de comunicación, su sostenibilidad y el coste de acceder a ellos en primer lugar.
In fact, their paper on the issue includes digital privacy, as well as threats to the privacy of the citizens of this country, even when that threat comes from the government itself, or alternatively, from service providers, or malicious software.
Además, el documento también habla de la libertad de expresión. Esto incluye el uso de Internet y los medios de comunicación en línea como herramientas que permitan a los usuarios acceder a plataformas en las que puedan expresar abiertamente sus pensamientos y opiniones. La libertad de expresión incluye a las instituciones mediáticas, los grupos, los periodistas y los usuarios individuales.
La protección en línea pronto se convirtió en una necesidad
Como ya se ha mencionado, los derechos humanos básicos, incluida la libertad digital, han sido reconocidos como relevantes cuando se trata de internet. Algunos de los otros derechos que también se incluyen en el concepto de libertad digital son el derecho a la educación, los derechos de los consumidores, el multilingüismo, etc.
In order to provide these rights, the internet had to receive a new characterization as a public good on a global scale. As such, it must be accessible to everyone, and the rights of others need to be recognized and respected. This has also brought in the necessity to include rules that would allow or deny certain actions, in accordance with the offline laws. What this means is that, basically, what the law doesn’t allow outside of the internet, should not, and will not be tolerated online either.
Additionally, according to the Jesuit journal, there is a possibility of the abuse of freedom of expression. This abuse may come from individuals, as well as companies. Not only that, but there is a large potential of exploitation of computer and internet users for financial gain, not to mention repressive regimes that would hide or block information from the users. In order to combat these issues, a Charter of Human Rights for the Internet had to be organized.
The fact is that these rights need to be regularly checked and updated with the continuous development of the internet. This necessity was seen best during the seizure of Megaupload by the US government several years ago. Back then, the government argued that property rights were lost if the users choose to store their data on a cloud computing service, which earned them a lot of criticism by the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation).
Lo positivo es que cada vez más países han reconocido la necesidad de incluir diversos derechos y libertades digitales, y se ha avanzado mucho en este campo en las dos últimas décadas. La mayoría de ellos han incluido esfuerzos para garantizar que el acceso a Internet, a los dispositivos electrónicos y similares esté ampliamente disponible para todos. Por otro lado, también ha habido que evitar algunas restricciones que se consideraban poco razonables.
After multiple right charter suggestions, world summits regarding the internet and digital freedoms, Bills of Rights, and alike, the opinion of the public was asked as well. The Internet Society conducted an entire series of online interviews in over 20 countries, which included more than 10,000 users. The users were asked on their opinions on various issues regarding digital rights, like whether the access to the Internet should be considered a basic human right, and whether or not the user believe that the internet can help society.
The results of the study have shown that many believe that the internet is, in fact, a positive force in the world and that it should be decentralized, free, and protective of their users, just as the law protects them in the ‘real world’.
