Information: An Obstacle For Human Rights?

The human rights establishment generally perceives the Internet in a positive light. It breaks barriers, we hear, it makes publication and reproduction of information easy, it is an excellent communication tool. Websites, blogs, forums and chat-rooms devoted to the issue are prolific.

Without denying an undoubtedly positive role of the Internet, this paper highlights some of the problems that distinguish it from other media. A number of difficulties with preserving, promoting, and verifying information on the Internet can severely undermine its impact and should discourage the human rights community from completely abandoning traditional means of distributing information and communication.