Dignity Online and Offline

Abstract

The concept of human rights and the Internet is new. Both the theoretical framework and the practical application of human rights to the Internet and our online lives are not yet clear. The concept that the Internet could be a place for human rights is contested, with some regarding it as a rights free space and others regarding it as a place representing the ultimate in freedom and rights. The nature and characteristics of dignity online are still being defined, but already it is clear that dignity online can take different forms from dignity offline. This chapter explores how human rights theory and practice has developed to establish the worth of our lives online and to establish new solutions for new forms of human rights violations online.