London
– Four in five adults polled said they believe Internet access should be
considered a "fundamental right," according to the findings of a
survey of 27,000 adults in 26 countries conducted by GlobeScan for the BBC
World Service. The survey found 78% said the Internet has brought them greater
freedom; nine in ten also called the Internet a good place to learn.
More than
half said they believe the "Internet should never be regulated by any
level of government anywhere," although only 16% of respondents in China agreed
with this belief.
"Despite worries about privacy and fraud, people around
the world see access to the Internet as their fundamental right," said GlobeScan
chairman Doug Miller.
"They think the Web is a force for good, and most
don’t want governments to regulate it."
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Across all 26 countries, 79 percent of Internet and non-Internet users said that they felt that Internet access should be “the fundamental right of all people.” When isolated for people who already use the Internet, that number went up to 87 percent. Almost universally (90 percent), respondents said that the Internet was a good place to learn and almost 80 percent said the Internet brought them greater freedom.