Challenges to freedom of expression

1
Challenges to freedom of expression

• The right to freedom of expression is a
  foundation right in society. Defined in
  Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• It protects the right to
• Express ourselves in words, music etc.
• Receive and exchange ideas and information
• Operates regardless of frontiers

2
Why is it important

• Essential to our humanity to express ourselves
• Enables us to better protect other rights and
  freedoms
• Provides the basis of democracy by allowing the
  exchange of ideas and opinions
• Enables human development

3
What does it need?

• To express ourselves we need means of
  communication
• - One to one conversation
• - To meet as groups in association
• - One speaking to many
• Otherwise the right is meaningless
• All of these operate in different ways and by
  different rules

4
What limits free expression?
Do networked digital communications affect these
limits?

• Geographical and linguistic boundaries
• Create a global, accessible communications
  network carrying all kinds of content available
  through different devices
• Technical limits
• An environment where 1 to1, group conversations
  and 1 to many communication happen side by side
• Censorship, direct and indirect
• Traditional gatekeepers and bottlenecks -
  government, corporations, mediators -undermined
• Commercial factors

5
A communication democracy?
The content layer the subject matter of the
communication

• It depends who controls the new environment.
• Actors and institutions can exercise influence at
  a vast number of places in the environment

The Application layer tools to navigate content.
Connectivity code layer the language or
protocols of the communication.
The Physical layer the physical infrastructure
that makes communications possible.
6
The issues

• How networked communications
• Expands the way we get information and debate
  issues
• Increases our ability to act
• Offers the possibility of changing politics and
  empowering people
• Increases the opportunities to share and develop
  human creativity

7
The result

• We strengthen and enhance freedom of expression
• We increase the capacity of humanity to realise
  its own potential
• We strengthen democracy and democratic
  participation
• We will have new opportunities for sustainable
  development

8
Unless

• Governments control networked communications for
  their own ends
• Traditional media companies take over the
  environment
• Private companies use it exclusively for
  commercial ends
• The technology is turned against us

9
The questions?

• Can networked communications help overcome the
  limitations of monopolisation and censorship in
  Africa
• Can it help build a democratic politics, a more
  equal society and a vibrant culture
• Can we have a global communication environment
  that is under public control, rather than
  government or business