Is Internet access a fundamental right?

London: A recent study proposes that a many adults view Internet access as a basic right, and a significant portion believes it should not be regulated.

As reported by Reuters, the global survey for the BBC World Service showed that four out of every five adults maintain the view that web access is a right, and many survey respondents view it as a source of freedom for expressing their views, etc.

Doug Miller, Chairman of survey conductor GlobeScan said, "Despite worries about privacy and fraud, people around the world see access to the Internet as their fundamental right. They think the Web is a force for good, and most don't want governments to regulate it."

BBC quizzed more than 27,000 adults across 26 countries, and found that 87 percent of browsers believed Internet access should be the "fundamental right of all people". The survey also found significant number of supporters in favour of net access on both sides of the virtual divide, with those in South Korea forming the majority (96 percent) in supporting the idea, the BBC reported.

Even respondents in Japan, Mexico and Russia confessed that they could not live without the virtual world. Most of the users in Japan, South Korea and Germany also said that they were afraid to express their opinions safely online, while those in Nigeria, India and Ghana were much more confident about speaking out.