Frank La Rue, United Nations special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion, presented a report earlier this year in which he called the internet “an indispensable tool for realizing a range of human rights, combating inequality, and accelerating development and human progress,” adding that “facilitating access to the Internet for all individuals, with as little restriction to online content as possible, should be a priority for all States.”
The report, which was presented to the UN General Assembly on June 3, 2011, supports the internet as a communication platform and warns against attacks on online anonymity, whistleblowing and privacy.
To note here is the fact that the UN is not saying that governments must provide internet access to people, but rather that they must have a very strong reason for limiting access to it. Think of it as the opposite of SOPA.
