Much of the internet of today is dominated by the big tech companies such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon that use it to amass profits. The chapter looks at three ways in which their pursuit of profit arbitrarily interferes with people’s access to and use of the internet. (1) Big Tech corporations operate a version of the internet that forces users to yield personal data in exchange for ‘free’ services. The chapter explains why this routine harvesting of personal data is morally problematic as it forces internet users to choose between two elements of minimally decent lives: their privacy and accessing the internet. (2) Social media platforms are among the dominant online services today. They have enhanced opportunities for exercising human rights, but their business practices also limit people in the enjoyment of these rights. The chapter suggests several ways for improving the situation. (3) Some businesses lobby for ending net neutrality. The chapter explains why net neutrality is crucial for keeping internet access free from arbitrary interferences, and argues for a version of net neutrality that allows some unequal treatment of data that does not diminish human rights.

Merten Reglitz proposes a new human right that ensures internet access for those who cannot afford it and protects that right from arbitrary interferences by those who would exploit it for harm. The first part of the book justifies the claim for this new right by showing how internet access is vital for the enjoyment of human rights around the globe. In the second part, Reglitz specifies the content of this right, assessing today’s standard threats to internet access. He recommends a minimum international standard of connectivity and explains how states have misused the internet. He documents how private companies already manipulate both internet access and content to maximise profit, and how lack of rights enforcement allows people to harm others online. The book establishes that a new human right to free internet access is essential to secure its role for the benefit and progress, not detriment, of humanity.

Describes the rationale for, and approach to, regulation of the telecommunications industry. Considers the effects of restructuring policies, net neutraility, and investment in next-generation networks

Sector-specific regulations apply in several network industries. The telecom sector and infrastructures such as utilities have been regulated based on the notion that they are natural monopolies and need to be regulated to prevent facilitation of monopolies. However, in the beginning of the internet era, large tech escaped regulation.1

Most of the existing privacy and security legal frameworks at both the federal and state level provide incomplete safeguards against many of the privacy and information security harms highlighted in earlier chapters. Many of these frameworks have long been critiqued by privacy law experts for their lack of effectiveness. The IoT amplifies these inadequacies as it compounds existing privacy and security challenges.

At the state level, the patchwork of privacy and security legislation creates varying obligations for businesses without consistently ensuring that individuals receive adequate privacy and cybersecurity protection. State legislation also suffers from several shortcomings and is often replete with gaping privacy and security holes. Even the CCPA, the first privacy statute of its kind in the United States, has several limitations. Further, varying state privacy and security legislation also enables unequal access to privacy and security between citizens of different states.