Title: ICT and the Emerging 'Fourth World': where does the responsibility lie?

Authors: Mhairi Aitken, Diego Quiroz-Onate

Addresses: Aberdeen Business School, Robert Gordon University, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, AB10 7QE, UK. ' Aberdeen Business School, Robert Gordon University, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, AB10 7QE, UK

Abstract: Today|s society is an increasingly technological one, and the importance of access to new technologies – particularly Information Communication Technology (ICT) – cannot be underestimated. Castells|s theory of the |Network Society| has demonstrated the importance of being connected to networks within this new society – and the negative consequences of not having access to ICTs. This paper suggests that being part of |networks| and having access to modern technologies is essential for an individual to fulfil his/her |right to development|. As such, ethical and legal questions are posed as to whether people have a right to technologies and, moreover, whose responsibility it is to facilitate this right. Human rights law suggests that everyone has a right to development and the paper proposes that access to technology – particularly ICTs – is vital to the realisation of this right.

Keywords: human rights law; Castells Network Theory; network society; ICT providers; fundamental freedoms; information technology; communications; right to development; right to technologies.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPL.2008.019430

International Journal of Private Law, 2008 Vol.1 No.1/2, pp.14 - 21

Published online: 11 Jul 2008 *

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