The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and Dutch funder Hivos have published the 2009 edition of the annual report, Global Information Society Watch (GISWatch). This year’s edition is titled Access to online information and knowledge – advancing human rights and democracy.
The report states that accessing information and knowledge online is not as simple as switching on a computer, and that the wealth of information available on the Internet today is by no means guaranteed for tomorrow. Whether it is a new legislation designed to control online content; the blocking of websites; or restrictive copyright laws that prevent poor nations and people with disabilities from accessing information; what was once a free and open space for sharing knowledge, is in many ways being shut down, says the report. Key issues impacting access to online information and knowledge are examined in the report, including discussions on intellectual property rights, knowledge rights, open standards and access to educational materials and libraries.
The report also offers an institutional overview and a reflection on indicators that track access to information and knowledge. Forty-eight country reports – 10 more than last year’s report – analyse the status of access to online information and knowledge in various countries. These range from Congo to Egypt, Mexico, Switzerland and Kazakhstan. Regional overviews offer a bird’s eye perspective on regional trends in North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Europe.
For the first time, this year there is a section that visually maps global rights as seen through the lens of Google searches, as well as a visual analysis of Twitter messages sent out during the recent Iranian political crisis. The two research projects presented are attempts at web studies where the tool used is part of the analysis, with some fascinating results.
GISWatch 2009, published in print and online by APC and Hivos, collects the perspectives of ICT academics, analysts, activists and civil society organisations from across the globe. The report was launched at the Internet Governance Forum in Egypt on November 16.
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