Dr Merten Reglitz

Social and political philosophy, human right to Internet access

Articles discussing my research

• D. Masterson, Phony info. Fake news on social media platforms undermines trust in democracies, new data reveals, The Irish Sun, July 2022. Article reporting on my research on fake news and its effects on democracy.
• S. Baker, 1 in 3 people around the globe – 2.9 billion – have never used the Internet, Mail Online, December 2021. Article on global Internet use referring to my research
• S. Bell, Data mustn’t create a new league of haves and have-nots for a digital world, Gulf News, March 2021. Article on barriers to digital transformation citing my research.
• H. Syed, Article 370: A year on, how Internet restriction affects Kashmiri youth, Kashmir Observer, August 2020. Article discussing the effects of Internet shutdown imposed by the Indian government on Kashmir referencing my research.
• S. Bocetta, Coronavirus and the right to online participation, OpenGlobalRights, June 2020. Article discussing the increased importance of Internet access for political rights during Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns referencing my research.
• T. Macaulay, The Coronavirus is strengthening the case for free Internet Access, The Next Web, March 2020. Article highlighting the increased importance of Internet access during Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns referencing my research.
• R. Haridy, How governments shut down the Internet to suppress dissent, New Atlas, February 2020. Article discussing Access Now’s ‘Keep It On Report 2019’ featuring my research.
• S. Dharmadhikari, Internet a fundamental right? The contrasting stands of Centre and Kerala govt, The News Minute, February 2020. Article discussing the disagreement about the status of Internet access in India featuring my research.
•  S. Smillie, Sky-high price of South African cellular services has life-threatening consequences, Daily Maverick, December 2019. Article referring to my research in arguing for cheaper cost of mobile data in South Africa.
• K. Bode, The case for Internet access as a human right, Vice, November 2019. Article referencing my research in arguing against broadband provision as an exploitable resource.
• D. Nield, Should free Internet be a basic human right? There’s a strong case for it, Science Alert, November 2019. Article reporting on my argument for a human right to free Internet access.
• M. Vincent, Internet access should be a human right along with food and water because people ‘don’t have free speech or political power without it’, Mail Online, November 2019. Article reporting on my argument for a human right to free Internet access.
• V. Tangermann, Professor claims Internet access should be a human right, Futurism, November 2019. Article reporting on my argument for a human right to free Internet access.
• K. Dalli, Everyone should be entitled to free Internet access, researchers argue, Consumer Affairs, November 2019. Article reporting on my argument for a human right to free Internet access.
• Press Trust of India, Internet access no longer a luxury: Experts call it a ‘basic human right’,The Economic Times, 2019. Article reporting on my argument for a human right to free Internet access.
• ‘Free broadband: Internet access is now a human right, no matter who pays the bills’, The Conversation, November 2019.

Press releases

• Free Internet access should be a basic human right – study, 11 November 2019.
• Internet access is a necessity not a luxury – it should be a basic right, 03 June 2020.
• Fake news poses corrosive existential threat to democracy – study, 27 July 2022.

Radio interviews

• Interviewed by Grace Galante for Viewpoints Radio, American Urban Radio Networks, December 2022.
• Interviewed by Maj Valerij for Frekvenca X, Radio VAL 202 (Slovenia), June 2020.
• Interviewed for the World Business Report, BBC World Service, November 2019. 
• Interviewed by Eddie Mair for LBC Radio, November 2019.
• Interviewed by Manfred Kloiber for Computer und Kommunikation, Deutschlandfunk (Germany), November 2019.

Podcast

• ‘Should Internet access be declared a human right?’ Beyond the Headlines (The National, United Arab Emirates, 25 June 2020).

• Interviewed by Andrew Pierce for the Daily Show Podcast (Daily Mail, 15 November 2019).

Blog

• ‘Philosophers’ Rundown on the Coronavirus Crisis’, Justice Everywhere (20 April 2020)

•  Global justice 
• Egalitarianism
• Internet ethics
• Political authority
• Intergenerational justice
• Socio-economic inequality

Research featured in:

• United Kingdom’s House of Lords Covid-19 Committee’s Report ‘Beyond Digital: Planning for a Hybrid World’.
• City of Toronto, Canada, commissioned report on digital exclusion: ‘Dimensions of Digital Inclusion: A Review of Research and Practice’.
• Republic of Slovenia, Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development’s ‘Productivity Report 2020’.