The Council of Europe, freedom of expression and public access to networked information

摘要

THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE The Council of Europe has been active for several years in making policy on Internet-related issues. It is the international body responsible for the European Convention on Human Rights, which was signed by the member governments at Rome in 1950. Since then the membership of the Council has expanded to include over 40 European countries and all of them have, by joining, subscribed to the principles of the Convention. Article 10 of the Convention states unequivocally that "Everyone has the right to freedom of expression" and couples this with the "freedom to receive and impart information and ideas". As the guardian of this important international agreement, the Council is committed to the promotion of freedom of expression, regardless of the different forms of information and communications media through which it might take place. Since the Internet, and access to networked information generally, is now the cause of considerable controversy, it is natural that the Council should turn its attention to the issues that have arisen in relation to it. INTERNET ACCESS The history of how Internet access, especially access by children and young people, became such a matter of concern is well known and needs no lengthy repetition here.(FN1) It is an undoubted fact that the Internet provides easily available access to sexual content, some of it taking extreme forms, material that incites hatred towards particular racial and other groups, information and opinion on drugs, weapons and other dangerous matters. Commentary in newspapers and magazines, and on radioand TV reflects the high levels of public anxiety concerning this, which have been measured by opinion polls in many countries.