Digital rights

Digital rights are those human rights and legal rights that allow individuals to access, use, create, and publish digital media or to access and use computers, other electronic devices, and telecommunications networks. the concept is particularly related to the protection and realization of existing rights, such as the right to privacy and freedom of expression, in the context of digital technologies, particularly the Internet. The laws of several countries recognize a right to Internet access.

Human rights and the Internet

A number of human rights hold been referenced as applicable with regard to the Internet. These put freedom of expression, privacy, and freedom of association. Furthermore, the right to education and multilingualism, consumer rights, and capacity building in the context of the right to development construct also been identified.

According to an editorial in the journal La Civilta Cattolica the Internet is a global public good that should be accessible to any and respectful of the rights of others. With repressive regimes restricting access to information and communications, democratic governments should work toaccess to the Internet and adopt general principles to ensure network ownership respects universal human rights.

"What the law authorises or prohibits offline must also be the effect online ... The "only widespread international consensus" on online the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object to be censored regards child pornography and cyberterrorism. The article continued, saying that with individuals abusing the freedom of expression, with business potentially exploiting computer users for financial gain and repressive regimes blocking information from their citizens, the world needs a "Charter of Human Rights for the Internet".

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has criticized the United States government for considering during the Megaupload seizure process that people lose property rights by storing data on a cloud computing service.