# Internet freedom > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Internet_freedom > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Internet_freedom.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_freedom > Source revision: 1295914298 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Digital rights, freedom of information and the right to Internet access and speech}} '''Internet freedom''' is an umbrella term that encompasses [digital rights](/source/digital_rights), [freedom of information](/source/freedom_of_information), the [right to Internet access](/source/right_to_Internet_access), freedom from [Internet censorship](/source/Internet_censorship), and [net neutrality](/source/net_neutrality).{{Cite magazine|url=http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1714980,00.html|title=A Coming Chill Over Internet Freedom?|last=Altman|first=Alex|date=2008-02-20|magazine=Time|access-date=2019-12-09|language=en-US|issn=0040-781X|archive-date=2021-12-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207164159/http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1714980,00.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite magazine |last=Nicks |first=Denver |date=March 19, 2014 |title=Russia's Youth Want Internet Freedom, Widening 'Censorship Gap' |url=https://time.com/29255/russias-youth-want-internet-freedom-widening-censorship-gap/ |url-status=live |magazine=Time |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207164157/https://time.com/29255/russias-youth-want-internet-freedom-widening-censorship-gap/ |archive-date=2021-12-07 |access-date=2019-12-09}}{{Cite news |last=Paul |first=Kari |date=2021-09-22 |title=Internet freedom on the decline in US and globally, study finds |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/sep/21/internet-freedom-decline-free-speech-study |access-date=2023-07-14 |issn=0261-3077}} == As a human right == Those who support internet freedom as a human right include the [United Nations Human Rights Council](/source/United_Nations_Human_Rights_Council), who declared internet freedom a Human Right in 2012.{{Cite journal |last=Carr |first=Madeline |date=November 2013 |title=Internet freedom, human rights and power |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10357718.2013.817525 |journal=[Australian Journal of International Affairs](/source/Australian_Journal_of_International_Affairs) |language=en |volume=67 |issue=5 |pages=621–637 |doi=10.1080/10357718.2013.817525 |s2cid=153790388 |issn=1035-7718}}{{Cite magazine |date=May 28, 2014 |title=Opinion: The Internet As a Human Right |url=https://time.com/130477/internet-human-right/ |url-status=live |magazine=Time |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121121119/https://time.com/130477/internet-human-right/ |archive-date=2022-01-21 |access-date=2019-12-09}} Eric Sterner agrees with the end goals of internet freedom but thinks that focusing on democracy and other freedoms is the best strategy.{{Cite journal |last=Sterner |first=Eric R. |author-link= |date=2011 |title=The Folly of Internet Freedom: The Mistake of Talking About the Internet as a Human Right |journal=[The New Atlantis](/source/The_New_Atlantis_(journal)) |issue=32 |pages=134–139 |issn=1543-1215 |jstor=43152664}} == Relatively free internets == J. Goldsmith notes the discrepancies in fundamental rights around free speech that exist between Europe and the United States, for example, and how that impacts internet freedom.Goldsmith, J. (2018). The failure of internet freedom. Knight First Amendment Institute. Columbia University. https://knightcolumbia.org/content/failure-internet-freedom {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124041836/https://knightcolumbia.org/content/failure-internet-freedom|date=2022-01-24}}. Retrieved on 12/3/19. In addition, the proliferation in certain kinds of speech that spreads false information and weakens trust in the accuracy of content online remains a topic of concern around internet freedom in all countries. The [EU](/source/European_Union)'s [Digital Services Act](/source/Digital_Services_Act) (DSA) seeks to control disinformation and misinformation on social media. It came into effect in 2023 and applies to large online platforms and search engines. The DSA requires platforms to take measures to limit the spread of disinformation and harmful content, such as removing or demoting it. It also requires platforms to be more transparent about their algorithms and content moderation practices. In doing so, the DSA aims to harmonize different national laws in the European Union that have emerged (since the [Electronic Commerce Directive 2000](/source/Electronic_Commerce_Directive_2000)) to address illegal content at national level.{{Cite web |last=Stolton |first=Samuel |date=18 August 2020 |title=Digital agenda: Autumn/Winter Policy Briefing |url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/digital/news/digital-agenda-autumn-winter-policy-briefing/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904043730/https://www.euractiv.com/section/digital/news/digital-agenda-autumn-winter-policy-briefing/ |archive-date=4 September 2020 |access-date=2 September 2020 |website=Euractiv |language=en-GB}} == Relatively unfree internets == Some countries work to ban certain sites and or words that limit internet freedom.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Promoting Global Internet Freedom: Policy and Technology |url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R41837.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419190432/https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R41837.pdf |archive-date=2021-04-19 |access-date=2019-12-09 |website=}} The [People's Republic of China](/source/People's_Republic_of_China) (PRC) has the world's largest number of Internet users and one of the most sophisticated and aggressive Internet censorship and control regimes in the world.Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service. (2010). U.S. Initiatives to Promote Global Internet Freedom. Issues, Policy, and Technology. S.l]: [s.n.]. https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a516461.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204052859/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a516461.pdf |date=2019-12-04 }} Retrieved on 12/3/19. In 2020, [Freedom House](/source/Freedom_House) ranked China last of 64 nations in internet freedom.{{cite web |last1=Cook |first1=Sarah |title=5 Predictions for Beijing's Assault on Internet Freedom in 2021 |url=https://thediplomat.com/2020/12/5-predictions-for-beijings-assault-on-internet-freedom-in-2021/ |website=thediplomat.com |publisher=The Diplomat |access-date=14 December 2020 |archive-date=7 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207164157/https://thediplomat.com/2020/12/5-predictions-for-beijings-assault-on-internet-freedom-in-2021/ |url-status=live }} == Related organizations == * [https://knightcolumbia.org/ Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University] * [Internet Freedom Foundation](/source/Internet_Freedom_Foundation) * [Electronic Frontier Foundation](/source/Electronic_Frontier_Foundation) * [Freedom Online Coalition](/source/Freedom_Online_Coalition) * [Article 19](/source/Article_19) * [Open Technology Fund](/source/Open_Technology_Fund) * [https://www.law.gwu.edu/global-internet-freedom-project Global Internet Freedom Project] at [George Washington University Law School](/source/George_Washington_University_Law_School) * [https://ncac.org/free-expression-network Free Expression Network] * [U.S. Agency for Global Media](/source/United_States_Agency_for_Global_Media)'s [https://www.usagm.gov/office-internet-freedom/ Office of Internet Freedom] == See also == * [Censorship of Wikipedia](/source/Censorship_of_Wikipedia) * [Free culture movement](/source/Free_culture_movement) * [Freedom of information](/source/Freedom_of_information) * [Freedom of speech](/source/Freedom_of_speech) * [Information wants to be free](/source/Information_wants_to_be_free) * [Pirate Party](/source/Pirate_Party) * [Public domain](/source/Public_domain) * ''[Steal This Film](/source/Steal_This_Film)'' * [Digital rights organizations](/source/%3ACategory%3ADigital_rights_organizations) == References == {{reflist}} {{Liberty}} Category:Broad-concept articles Category:Internet access Category:Digital rights Category:Computing and society Category:Social concepts --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Internet freedom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_freedom) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_freedom?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.