Hey guys.
Right now, 100,000 people are meeting in Hungary to protest the taxation of the internet. This is a topic that we didn't bring up during our discussion about human
rights. What about the right to the internet without taxation? Should all people be able to access the internet without being taxed by the government? Should internet be free for all and taken out of the hands of private companies?
Edit: There is basically nothing in the declarations of human rights that we read during class. This is clearly a sign that our rights declarations are very outdated. Do you guys think that this movement will add the right to internet without taxation in rights declarations, or should this not be considered a right in the first place?
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/28/us-hungary-internet-protest-idUSKBN0IH29M20141028
This is a really interesting question. Not only do the declarations of human rights not say anything about the internet, they give no mention of right to access information in general. Perhaps it was assumed at the time of writing the declarations that allowing free speech would guarantee information (correct or incorrect) was always available to the public. There were no thoughts about money because speech was often just people talking. Speech could be allowed or banned but it would be very difficult to tax.
ReplyDeleteWe as human beings have not lost our ability to speak and to organize through word of mouth. However, given the ability of the internet to almost immediately spread information around the world taxing it, in modern context, is unjustifiable as it restricts free speech.
This issue also brings to mind the fact that even without taxes on speech or the internet information is still a market good. If one wants to tell you something it is because they want you to have some piece of their information which they believe would make their situation better if everyone knew. If one buys information, either in a newspaper or just enduring web page advertisements, one is paying for information they want. This means that good and bad, correct and incorrect information, is always passed around. This is a reality with or without the internet, though the internet potentially exacerbates it.
From this view the taxation of the internet is also unjustifiable. Applying basic economic principles, a tax on a market decreases the total number of trades occurring in that market in a given time. Thus using a market model the tax on the good would be again be unjustifiable because it limits free speech. To be clear this is not to say taxes on markets are always unjustifiable. But, when the product is a basic human right it is.
Even though the U.S doesn't have a specific tax on the internet, I still feel that information is not always free. Access to the news and internet is limited to those who can afford a computer or tv, and can afford to pay for the internet, cable, or maybe even a newspaper!
ReplyDeleteDo you think that news should be made a public and free good, and how would a government go about doing that?
Also, with all of the ads and information being taken on us, our internet is not free either. We just don't always realize we're paying.
DeleteExactly, we are paying via the companies that provide service, the equipment and ads. But in a way its is already taxed from the taxes that apply to the items needed to access the internet...maybe. But I do not believe that there should be a tax on usage of the internet. That being said, I am not sure that it should be included in human rights. Is it a portal for information, yes, but it is not the sole source and taxing it would not eliminate our ability to use it. Just like we pay for books, we would pay for this portal of information. And if this were a 'free' for all, provided by the government (not controlled by private companies), other taxes would most likely be raised to cover whatever the cost would be to provide this service and maintenance.
ReplyDelete