This third report in the GISWatch series is entitled Access to online information and knowledge – advancing human rights and democracy and reveals how vulnerable the internet as we know it is.
The Global Information Society Watch 2009 report unpacks the key issues impacting on access to online information and knowledge, 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. At total of 48 country reports – ten more than last year – analyse the status of access to online information and knowledge in countries as diverse as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Mexico, Switzerland and Kazakhstan, while regional overviews offer a bird’s eye perspective on trends in North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Europe.
For the first time there is an innovative 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 report has its own dedicated Global Information Society Watch website, where you can download the entire publication in English or specific country and regional reports. The 2009 report is also available in Spanish and French.