As reported here, the Demos Institute, a Guatemala based human rights research center, headed by Mr. Frank La Rue*, has organized a series of five regional consultations on freedom of expression and the Internet. These consultations were convened by the Demos Institute in association with local partners, supported by the Open Society Foundations and the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
The meetings brought together experts and activists working on a range of Internet and free expression issues from across North and Latin America, Southeast and East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
A report that provides an overview of the outcomes has been published in here. The report was written by Lisa Horner, head of Research and Policy at Global Dialogue.
Further reports on the regional consultation in Argentina, Thailand, Egypt, South Africa and Sweden can be found on the Demos website.
This consultation process has raised issues of illegitimate restrictions on content, including the criminalization of expression online, blocking, controlling and manipulating Internet content. Privacy and data protection , liabilities, roles and responsibilities of Internet intermediaries, as specifically the relationship between Internet intermediaries and freedom of expression, the impact of different liability regimes on freedom of expression and the human rights responsibilities of Internet intermediaries.
Access and accessibility, barriers to universal Internet access and digital inclusion are also elements that require close attention by those concerned.
*Mr. Frank La Rue is the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression