Net a "Fundamental Right," Four Out of Five Say

Four in five adults in more than 26 different countries believe that Internet access is a fundamental right, according to a new poll sponsored by the BBC World Service.

The poll asked more than 27,000 adults about their attitudes towards the Internet, and found that 87 percent of those who regularly use the Internet believe that access should be "the fundamental right of all people." More than 71 percent of non-Internet users also felt that they should have the right to access the global network. In both South Korea and Mexico, more than 90 percent of those surveyed agreed that access was a fundamental right. The survey found that most web users are positive about the Internet: Close to 80 percent said they felt it had brought them greater freedom, 90 percent said they thought it was a good place to learn, and just over 50 percent said they enjoyed spending their time on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. However, some expressed concern as well.