The internet has become such an embedded feature of modern life that it’s easy to forget there was a time without it. According to Best Life, people use the internet for functions as varied as school, work, social interactions, GPS navigation, banking, leisurely research, satisfying curiosity and streaming music and movies. That covers pretty much everyone in some way worldwide.
As the internet has become such an essential tool in modern society, it has become necessary to develop some core internet rights to ensure everyone can use the web freely and securely.
Here are three important facts to know about your internet rights.
1. You Have the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression
Thanks to social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and an endless stream of alternatives, the internet has become the de facto world community. With that in mind, the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) states that everyone has the right to free speech online, whether through blogs, chat, e-mail or mobile phone conversations or text messages. Each person using this digital public square must be allowed to express their ideas and opinions freely and openly without worry about the threat of harassment from other users or censorship from any person or body, including the government.
2. You Have the Right to Protect Your Data and Privacy
Just like you need to protect your bank account information from prying eyes in real life, you need to protect that same information and much more when using the internet. Many people use cloud storage services for important documents and files. Unfortunately, the cloud isn’t always the safest way to store and share documents — just like any website, it can be compromised by hackers.
If you need more information and cloud storage explained, you are far from alone. Many people need help understanding cloud storage and protecting private data, such as your full name, address, telephone number, e-mail address and credit card, bank account or Social Security number. If a cybercriminal gains access to all, some or even any of this vital information, they could use it against you through identity theft or to access your credit cards or banking information.
Protect your information and your rights by working with an online security provider that monitors your information 24/7/365 to detect any strange account behavior or other threats to your identity and accounts.
3. Your Creative Content Has Automatic Copyright Protection as Your Intellectual Property
Perhaps you never considered that your creative words, photographs, videos and even your memes have automatic copyright protection. Like many, you probably thought you need to take extra steps to ensure no one uses your content without your permission. However, under the Berne Convention, creative works you create and put online are automatically protected by copyright. You don’t need to apply or register for copyright coverage. As soon as you record your work to a physical medium, such as entering posts on your blog page or uploading videos on your YouTube channel, you as the author are entitled to all copyrights for that work unless or until you grant rights to another person or the public domain.
Everyone Has Rights When Using the Internet
Fortunately, all these rights are extended to everyone, making the internet an ideal forum for exchanging ideas, sharing creative content and maintaining privacy without infringement. Make sure you learn more about these and other rights and responsibilities you enjoy when browsing the internet, creating content, performing daily tasks where you input personally identifiable information or gaming.
