EDITORIAL: Unrestricted Internet access as foreign policy goal

The extraordinary ability of ordinary people to share information instantly with millions of others around the globe could be a powerful force for freedom, prosperity and peace. In a dramatic recognition of that potential, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is making unrestricted access to the Internet a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy.

Digital information networks created by cell phones, blogs, e-mail and social networks have enabled people in Iran and Mexico and India and Colombia to organize massive protests against violence, extremism and corruption. They've given activists of all stripes the means to sidestep government repression and share their aspirations with the world. The unprecedented ability to connect could be a force for modernity and democracy.

But the digital revolution has a dark side. China has stepped up censorship of the Internet, fomenting a dispute with Google. In the Middle East, women and girls are being physically abused by male family members if they are found using networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

In her speech last week, Clinton announced a $15-million project to help women, young people and citizen groups get online. The freedom for all to connect via a global, unfettered Internet is the right foreign policy for the 21st century. hN