The United States and Government-Provided Internet Access
Enrique Armijo · 2021
While Syria provides a stark example of state repression and censorship, this chapter provides an interesting contrast: by focusing on the United States and efforts by state governments to provide high-speed Internet access to citizens. The author Enrique Armijo notes that these efforts, while laudable and in line with the Access to Knowledge movement, nevertheless come with major caveats and potential threats to freedom of expression. Armijo discusses three models of Internet access provision: a public utility model, a public–private partnership model, and a third model where a city owns the Internet infrastructure, while ISPs utilize the infrastructure to provide access for an agreed-upon fee. The author argues, based on different case studies, that efforts to provide public Internet access often come with restrictions to free expression, which are enforced through various “terms of service” from the government in conjunction with the local network providers. He instead argues that provision of free Internet access by government actors should be in line with constitutional rights afforded to citizens such as free expression. Otherwise, Armijo warns that such “free access” could end up curtailing citizens’ free speech and make it easy for governments to surveil and censor citizens.