When the internet first appeared, it was welcomed as a blessing that made everyone’s life easier and
more social and provided endless digital connection opportunities. With time, this blessing has in
some ways turned into a source of dependency that requires people to be connected to function in
society. The world is divided – while some crave access to the internet and consider it a basic right,
others fight for the right not to be forced to use it. One way to address these challenges is to invoke
the narrative of human rights. While policymakers, legislators, academics, judges and the public
increasingly refer to these (prospective) rights, the need for those rights, and how they can be
shaped and operationalized, is underexplored, especially when it comes to vulnerable groups, such
as children or the elderly.
The project will set up a European observatory on the right to use the internet (R2AI) and the
right not to use the internet (RN2AI). It aims to conduct unique normative research on whether
and how these two rights can and should be conceptualised and operationalised in today’s digital
reality. The observatory will monitor and assess ongoing legal and policy developments on these
rights across the Council of Europe Member States, with particular attention to vulnerable groups.
Ultimately, the observatory aims to develop recommendations for policymaking, inspired by the
voices of vulnerable groups; and become the reference point for the research community.