Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by kijinbear 5454 days ago
Some European countries [1] and even the UN [2] have recently begun to recognize internet access as a Constitutional right. If similar decisions were made here, one might be able to sue one's ISP for breaching that right... but maybe not, as long as there's free internet at public libraries. I'm also very pessimistic that SCOTUS will recognize internet access as a Constitutional right any time soon, what with the MAFIAA still at large.

[1] http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/0309/Is-Inte... [2] http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2011/06/united-nat...

1 comments

> internet access as a Constitutional right.

You mean Human Right.

In the case of individual countries, it's often construed as a constitutional right. But in the case of the EU, you're right, it's a human right. Thanks for the correction.
It hasn't prevented the advancement of internet three strike laws in Europe. In fact they are way ahead of the US on that lousy path. Ireland, UK, France, etc...

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/09/france-passe...

http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/-three-strikes-isp-di...

http://extratorrent.com/article/1124/uk+admitted+%E2%80%9Cth...

Ah, sorry. I meant UN, not EU. The article I linked to in the great-great-grandparent says UN, not EU.

Western Europe sucks. Too much MAFIAA influence there.