A cursory look as to whether the above rights have become international law
norms shows that there is quite a bit of discussion but no clear human right
declared to form a right to the internet1 and electronic money transfers.
These rights which are an enablers to other rights such as the rights to
expression of social media and financial services respectively are emerging
rights. There are, however, general rights to freedom of speech and
expression under Article 29(1) of the Constitution of Uganda (1995).
Beneath the blocking of social media and indeed blocking and shutting
down of money transfer services, there is a an underlying complaint that the
use the of internet to access certain social media is an infringement on the
right to freedom of speech and social media which in short is freedom to
communicate.
As it stands now there is a fundamental argument in the United Nations as
to whether the right to internet should indeed become a basic human right.
The 2003 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), convened by the
UN
Secretary
General
and
organized
by
the
International
Telecommunication Union (ITU), created a unique opportunity to advance
a strong claim for the Internet as a human right2. Article 19, of the Universal
1 Stephen Tully, A Human Right to Access the Internet? Problems and Prospects, Human Rights Law Review,
Volume 14, Issue 2, Pages 175-195; Mathiesen, Kay 2012. "The Human Right to Internet Access: A Philosophical
Defense". The International Review of Information Ethics 18 (December). Edmonton, Canada:9-22.
http://informationethics.ca/index.php/irie/article/view/299.
2 Michael Best, Can the Internet be a Human Right? Human Rights and the Internet edited by Steven Hick,
Edward F. Halpin, and Eric Hoskins. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2000. 276pp
2