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79 per cent see internet access as a fundamental right |
Poll shows nearly half cannot cope without the internet.
A GlobeScan poll for BBC World Service has found that 79 per cent of adults regard internet access as their fundamental right.
The poll of 29,973 adults across 26 countries found that countries that viewed internet access as their fundamental right highest was South Korea with 96 per cent and Mexico with 94 per cent.
90 per cent said they thought the internet was a good place to learn, with 51 per cent saying they now enjoyed spending their spare time on social networking sites and 47 per cent identifying the ability to find information of all sorts as their most valued aspect of the internet.
53 per cent of users agreed the internet ‘should never be regulated by any level of government anywhere’ and 44 per cent admitted they did not think they would cope without the internet, although this varied widely, with 84 per thinking this in Japan compared to just 29 per cent in India.
However, 32 per cent stated that fraud was the aspect of the internet that worried them most and when it came to speaking their minds online, 48 per cent felt ‘the internet is a safe place to express my opinions’, while 49 per cent did not feel this.
GlobeScan Chairman Doug Miller 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 government to regulate it."
Further information:
BBC World Service
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