Avec l'émergence de l'internet, qui existe depuis un certain temps déjà, le besoin d'une nouvelle forme de droits s'est également fait sentir. L'internet n'a cessé de croître et de se développer, et ses utilisateurs avaient besoin d'une forme décente de protection de leurs droits lorsqu'ils étaient en ligne. Étant donné que les droits de l'homme fondamentaux ne couvraient pas correctement ce besoin, les droits numériques ont dû être inventés.
Concepts et principes de base des droits et libertés numériques
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.
Certains pays, comme l'Égypte, ont également inclus plusieurs autres facteurs pertinents qui influencent directement ces droits. Il s'agit d'éléments tels que la qualité des services de communication, leur durabilité et le coût de l'accès à ces services.
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.
En outre, le document aborde également la question de la liberté d'expression. Celle-ci comprend l'utilisation de l'internet et des médias en ligne en tant qu'outils permettant aux utilisateurs d'accéder à des plates-formes où ils peuvent exprimer ouvertement leurs pensées et leurs opinions. La liberté d'expression concerne les institutions médiatiques, les groupes, les journalistes, ainsi que les utilisateurs individuels.
La protection en ligne est rapidement devenue une nécessité
Comme indiqué précédemment, les droits de l'homme fondamentaux, y compris la liberté numérique, ont été reconnus comme pertinents lorsqu'il s'agit de l'internet. Parmi les autres droits inclus dans le concept de liberté numérique figurent le droit à l'éducation, les droits des consommateurs, le multilinguisme, 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).
L'aspect positif est que de plus en plus de pays ont reconnu la nécessité d'inclure divers droits et libertés numériques, et que de nombreux progrès ont été réalisés dans ce domaine au cours des deux dernières décennies. La plupart de ces progrès ont consisté à faire en sorte que l'accès à l'internet, aux appareils électroniques et autres devienne largement accessible à tous. D'un autre côté, il était également nécessaire d'empêcher certaines restrictions jugées déraisonnables.
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’.
