INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS OEA/Ser.L/V/II. CIDH/RELE/INF. 11/13 31 December, 2013 Original: Spanish FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND THE INTERNET Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Catalina Botero Marino Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression 2013 Internet: http://www.cidh.org/relatoria Email: [email protected] ii OAS Cataloging-in-Publication Data Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression. Libertad de expresión e Internet = Freedom of expression and the Internet. v. ; cm. (OEA documentos oficiales ; OEA/Ser.L) ISBN 978-0-8270-6134-7 1. Freedom of expression--America. 2. Internet--America. I. Title. II. Title: Freedom of expression and the Internet. III. Series. OAS official records ; OEA/Ser.L. OEA/Ser.L/V/II CIDH/RELE/INF.11/13 Document prepared and published thanks to the financial support of the government of Finland and Open Society Foundations The content of this publication is the exclusive responsibility of the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and it does not in any way purport to represent the views of the supporters. Approved by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on December 31, 2013. iii INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS MEMBERS José de Jesús Orozco Henríquez Tracy Robinson Rosa María Ortiz Rose-Marie Belle Antoine Felipe González Dinah Shelton Rodrigo Escobar ***** Secretario Ejecutivo: Emilio Alvarez-Icaza Secretaria Ejecutiva Adjunta: Elizabeth Abi-Mershed iv OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND THE INTERNET INDEX TABLE OF ACRONYMS AND REFERENCES ................................................................. v A. Introduction ......................................................................................................... 1 B. Freedom of expression on the Internet: guiding principles ................................. 5 1. Access ...................................................................................................... 6 2. Pluralism .................................................................................................. 8 3. Non-discrimination .................................................................................. 8 4. Privacy ..................................................................................................... 9 C. Net neutrality ....................................................................................................... 11 D. Access to the Internet .......................................................................................... 15 E. Legislative limitations and subsequent liability: Standards of legitimacy and deliberative factors for resolving online rights conflicts ................................... 24 F. Filters and blocking ............................................................................................... 36 G. Intermediaries ...................................................................................................... 39 H. Cybersecurity, privacy, and freedom of expression ............................................ 53 1. Cybersecurity ........................................................................................... 53 2. Privacy ..................................................................................................... 57 3. Internet communications surveillance and freedom of expression ................................................................................................... 64 I. Principles for the protection of freedom of expression through multi- sector participation in Internet governance ............................................................ 79 v TABLE OF ACRONYMS AND REFERENCES ACHPR: African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights American Convention: American Convention on Human Rights American Declaration: American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man Declaration of Principles: Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression European Convention: European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms European Court: European Court of Human Rights IACHR: Inter-American Commission on Human Rights ICCPR: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ILO: International Labor Organization Inter-American Court: Inter-American Court of Human Rights OAS: Organization of American States OSCE: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Office of the Special Rapporteur: Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression UN: United Nations UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 1 FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND THE INTERNET A. Introduction 1. Freedom of thought and expression is the cornerstone of any democratic society.1 The inter-American human rights system in particular gives it a very broad scope2: Article 13 of the American Convention guarantees the right of all persons to freedom of expression and establishes that this right includes "freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing, in print, in the form of art, or through any other medium of one's choice.” 2. Article 13 applies fully to communications, ideas and information distributed through the Internet.3 The Internet has not only made it easier for citizens to express themselves freely and openly, but has also provided ideal conditions for innovation and the exercise of other fundamental rights such as the right to education and free association.4 As the OAS General Assembly has stated, information and communications 1 IACHR. Annual Report 2009. Annual Report of the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression. Chapter III (Inter-American Legal Framework of the Right to Freedom of Expression). OEA/Ser.L/V/II. Doc. 51. December 30, 2009. Para. 8; I/A Court H.R. Compulsory Membership in an Association Prescribed by Law for the Practice of Journalism (Arts. 13 and 29 American Convention on Human Rights). Advisory Opinion OC- 5/85 of November 13, 1985. Series A No. 5. Para. 70; I/A Court H.R. Case of Claude-Reyes et al. v. Chile. Merits, Reparations and Costs. Judgment of September 19, 2006. Series C No. 151. Para. 85; I/A Court H.R. Case of Herrera-Ulloa v. Costa Rica. Preliminary Objections, Merits, Reparations and Costs. Judgment of July 2, 2004. Series C No. 107. Para. 112; I/A Court H.R. Case of Ricardo Canese v. Paraguay. Merits, Reparations and Costs. Judgment of August 31, 2004. Series C No. 111. Para. 82; I/A Court H.R. Case of Ríos et al. v. Venezuela. Preliminary Objections, Merits, Reparations, and Costs. Judgment of January 28, 2009. Series C No. 194. Para. 105; I/A Court H.R. Case of Perozo et al. v. Venezuela. Preliminary Objections, Merits, Reparations, and Costs. Judgment of January 28, 2009. Series C No. 195. Para. 116. 2 IACHR. Annual Report 2009. Annual Report of the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression. Chapter III (Inter-American Legal Framework of the Right to Freedom of Expression). OEA/Ser.L/V/II. Doc. 51. December 30, 2009. Para. 3. 3 United Nations. Human Rights Council. The promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet. A/HRC/20/L.13. June 29, 2012. Para. 1. Available for consultation at: http://ap.ohchr.org/documents/alldocs.aspx?doc_id=20280 4 United Nations. General Assembly. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. A/66/290. August 10, 2011. Para. 61. Available for consultation at: http://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?m=85 2 technologies (ICT) are crucial for political, economic, social and cultural development, as well as essential factors in the reduction of poverty, job creation, environmental protection, and prevention and mitigation of natural disasters.5 3. In this document the Office of the Special Rapporteur endeavors to make available to all States in the region, general principles for the protection of the right to freedom of thought and expression online. These principles are intended to provide guidance to governments, legislative and regulatory bodies, the courts and civil society in order to clear the way for this conceptually and technically new territory, and stimulate the revision and adoption of legislation and practices in view to achieving the full realization of the right to freedom of thought and expression through the Internet. 4. In preparing this report, the Office of the Special 6 Rapporteur looked at the progress that has taken place in international 5 OAS. General Assembly. Use of Telecommunications/Information and Communication Technologies to Build an Inclusive Information Society. AG/RES. 2702 (XLII- O/12). June 4, 2012. 6 United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Representative on Freedom of the Media, and Organization of American States (OAS) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression. November 20, 2001. Joint Declaration about Countering Terror, Broadcasting and The Internet; UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and OAS Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression. December 10, 2002. Joint Declaration on Freedom of Expression and the Administration of Justice, Commercialisation