Internet access, while an enabler of basic human rights, is not itself a human right, says Google Vice President Vinton Cerf.
“There is a high bar for something to be considered a human right,” Cerf says in an opinion piece in Thursday’s New York Times. But Internet access, apparently, does not meet that threshold.
Cerf calls it a “mistake” to include any piece of technology as a human right, because “over time we will come to come to value the wrong things.” He also argues that the exclusive category should be reserved for factors absolutely essential for human lives to flourish and have significance, offering as examples freedom of individual thought and freedom from torture. But, unlike those concepts, what guarantees them has the potential to change over time, Cerf says.
I was very surprised that someone from Google would take this stance. I’m not quite sure how anyone would know that we, as a people, would come to value the wrong things as Mr. Cerf states. He must be able to see the future.
As far as Mr. Cerf’s argument that “Human Rights should reserved for factors absolutely essential for human lives to flourish and have significance, offering as examples freedom of individual thought and freedom from torture” is he not using the internet?
The Internet is Absolutely Essential for Human Lives to Flourish!
- Internet Access is now how we educate ourselves and will enable future generations the ability to access information without being bound to some form of government criteria. Our current educational system has failed us.
- Internet Access is allowing citizen journalism to flourish at a time you cannot get a journalist to actually report the news. The current model of corporate journalism has failed us.
- Internet Access is allowing people the ability to freely assemble online on a global scale which has always been a basic human right.
- And most importantly, internet Access gives all of us the ability to get to know each, to settle our differences, prevent future wars, allow us to work together more efficiently to solve our most pressing problems.
For those who think Internet Access should not be a Human Right, make a compelling argument below… If you agree with me I would love to hear why.
[Recovered from Wayback Machine on 2026-05-10] Original: http://daviddaniels.com:80/2012/01/google-claims-internet-access-isnt-a-human-right-i-beg-to-differ/? · view snapshot