- What is freedom of expression?
- What is the origin of freedom of expression?
- Limits of freedom of expression
- Freedom of expression on the Internet
We explain what freedom of expression is and how this human right originated. In addition, its limits and freedom of expression on the Internet.
What is freedom of expression?
Freedom of expression is the right that everyone human being must enjoy, express freely their opinions, be able to publish or communicate them and that, in turn, the rest of the persons respect them.
In article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states that this right must be guaranteed since it is essential for any human being to be able to perform and develop properly. The constitutions of each democratic country also include this human right, also known as a fundamental right.
Freedom of expression is said to be an elementary means for the dissemination of ideas and for the discovery of any truth. There is no doubt that this human right is necessary for people to take knowledge the environment that surrounds them and the world in general, since they will be able to exchange ideas and learn through communication free with others. We could then say that freedom of expression is the ability to formulate ideas and, at the same time, be able to make them known.
Regarding a political aspect, if the citizens of a certain country feel that their rights to free communication, Condition you will gain trust and I respect by its inhabitants. In turn, if a government fulfills these characteristics, it will create in people a feeling in which its politicians are honest and capable of being in the corresponding positions. In this way, citizens They will be able to have a critical and argued opinion when deciding who to vote for in elections.
The constant confrontation of the media against the rulers or opposition politicians helps to publicize any corruption or irregularity that occurs in the country. In turn, thanks to the media, a connection is achieved between citizens and their leaders in which they can express any complaint, concern or also, gratitude to the authorities.
Finally, one of the great reasons why it is important to enjoy this human right is that thanks to it, and it is that it allows to denounce the non-compliance or the need of any other right of the people that is not being fulfilled or that is not respected .
What is the origin of freedom of expression?
Despite the fact that the right to freedom of expression was defined as such in 1948 in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, this concept has been talked about since the years of the Illustration. Philosophers such as Voltaire, Rousseau, and Montesquieu held that a world full of free men would result in significant advancement in both Arts as in the Sciences, and clearly, in the politics.
As much as in the French Revolution and in the War of Independence of the United StatesThese ideals were the main arguments used by the revolutionaries and they had repercussions in most of the remaining Western countries.
Limits of freedom of expression
In general terms, freedom of expression will be limited when a certain situation conflicts with other rights or values of people. In other words, any act that is related to violence, violence, crime or any other case that may cause damage to the other. If the limits of this right are broken, the person will suffer from a legal sanction or even from disapproval or social rejection.
After the First World War, the Geneva Conventions began to address issues such as the security, respect, and some minimum rights that should correspond to the soldiers of thewar. It will only be in 1948, after the completion of the WWII In 1945, it was decided to discuss the rights of man in the General Assembly of the United Nations and in this way, carry out a set of rules and principles that would serve as a guarantee against the different public powers.
Freedom of expression on the Internet
In 2011, it was declared in the Organization of American States that freedom of expression will be applied in Internet in the same way that it applies in any field or context.
The limits of this right will be established in the standards set internationally. They must be provided by laws and they must contain a legitimate purpose that is recognized by so-called international law.
However, the regulations made for other means of communication - such as radio or TV-, but rather the case of the Internet must be analyzed in order to design and establish specific conditions for this recent and powerful means of communication.
However, each website or Internet company has its own regulations to streamline the process and make the job of addressing or eliminating offensive expressions or behaviors more effective.