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Week ending March 13, 2010

EBU delivers more Paralympics than ever - March 11, 2010
from Albert Garnier/EBU

The Vancouver 2010 Paralympics (March 12 to March 21) will receive record broadcast coverage.

The EBU Members of 17 European countries will ensure that the performances of the athletes will be widely broadcast with over 150 hours of coverage. Forty two hours of competition will be available live to European viewers.

In addition the extremely successful Vancouver Live broadband platform www.eurovisionsports.tv will also deliver all broadcast Paralympic competitions live to all EBU territories.

The EBU and its public service free to air Members have always been a proud broadcast partner of the Paralympics Federation and the athletes. We are pleased to offer European viewers comprehensive coverage of these inspiring human performances.

BBC World Service - Four in Five Regard Internet Access as a Fundamental Right: Global Poll - March 7, 2010

Four in five adults (79%) regard internet access as their fundamental right, according to a new global poll conducted across 26 countries for BBC World Service.

The poll of more than 27,000 adults conducted by GlobeScan found that 87 per cent of those who used the internet felt that internet access should be “the fundamental right of all people.” More than seven in ten (71%) non-internet users also felt that they should have the right to access the web.

Countries where very high proportions regarded internet access as their fundamental right included South Korea (96%), Mexico (94%), and China (87%).

Most web users are very positive about the changes the internet has brought to their lives, with strong support for the information available, the greater freedom it brings and social networking. However there was caution about expressing opinions online and fraud.

Nearly four in five (78%) said they felt it had brought them greater freedom, nine in ten (90%) said they thought it was a good place to learn, and just over half (51%) said they now enjoyed spending their spare time on social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace.

Despite this enthusiasm there is also concern, with many web users cautious about speaking their minds online. The poll found that they were evenly split between those who felt that “the internet is a safe place to express my opinions” (48%) and those who did not feel this (49%).

Japan was among the countries where most web users did not feel they could express their opinions safely online (65%), alongside South Korea (70%), France (69%), Germany (72%), and China (55%). In contrast, most Indians (70%), Ghanaians (74%), and Kenyans (73%) felt they could express their opinions safely.

The poll also showed that most internet users feel that the internet should not be regulated by governments. More than half (53%) of internet users agreed that “the internet should never be regulated by any level of government anywhere”—including large majorities in South Korea (83%), Nigeria (77%), and Mexico (72%). Forty-four per cent admitted that they did not think they could cope without the internet. Many more felt this way in Japan (84%), Mexico (81%), and Russia (71%), while fewer felt they could not cope without the internet in Pakistan (19%), the Philippines (21%), Turkey (27%), Brazil, and India (both 29%).

Asked what aspect of the internet they most valued, people most commonly identified the ability to find information of all sorts (47%), with its next most popular aspect being the ability to interact and communicate with people (32%). The internet’s roles as a source of entertainment (12%), as a tool to locate, research, and buy products and services (5%), and as a forum for creativity and sharing of content (3%) were less commonly mentioned as its most valuable aspect.

The poll also found that fraud was the aspect of the internet that caused people most concern, with 32 per cent saying it was what worried them most. Fraud emerged as a greater public concern than violent and explicit content, which was mentioned by 27 per cent, and threats to privacy, which were the major concern of one in five people (20%).

As BBC World Service reported last month, the poll also reveals that around one in three internet users across the countries polled regard the web as a good place to find a boyfriend or girlfriend.

The poll was commissioned for SuperPower – bbc.com/superpower - a major season throughout March on the BBC’s international news services: BBC World Service, BBC World News and BBC.com, exploring the extraordinary power of the internet.

The results are drawn from a survey of 27,973 adult citizens across 26 countries, including 14,306 internet users, conducted for BBC World Service by the international polling firm GlobeScan. GlobeScan coordinated fieldwork, involving telephone and in-person interviews, between 30 November 2009 and 7 February 2010.

GlobeScan Chairman Doug Miller commented: “Despite worries about privacy and fraud, people around the world see access to the internet as their fundamental right. They think the web is a force for good, and most don’t want governments to regulate it.”

In total 27,973 citizens in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, El Salvador, France, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, the Philippines, Portugal, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America were interviewed face-to-face or by telephone between November 30, 2009 and February 7, 2010. Polling was conducted for BBC World Service by GlobeScan and its research partners in each country.

COUNTRY BY COUNTRY RESULTS

Americas

Brazil

Brazilian web users agree overwhelmingly (91%) that internet access should be a fundamental right. They are also among those most likely to say that the internet is a good place to learn (96%). Nonetheless, most do not consider the internet to be essential to their lives, as 71 per cent say that they could cope without it (compared to 55% worldwide). While they are among the most cautious about expressing their opinions on the internet (56% disagree that the internet is a safe place to express their opinions, compared to 49% worldwide), Brazilians are among the populations most enthusiastic about spending time on social networks (60% enjoy spending time on them, compared to 51% worldwide). Their greatest concern about the internet is its violent and explicit content (36%), as well as fraud (35%).

Canada

Canadians are relatively supportive of regulation of the internet, with 51 per cent disagreeing that the internet should never be regulated, compared to 43 per cent worldwide. This may be driven by fears of fraud, as Canadians’ concerns about the internet are dominated by fraud and privacy issues. They are relatively unconcerned about explicit content (14% say this is the issue they are most concerned about, compared to 27% worldwide). Canadians tend to derive value from the internet in learning and communicating: 61 per cent strongly agree that the internet is a good place to learn (56% worldwide), and communication is the most valued aspect of the internet to 39 per cent of Canadians compared to 32 per cent elsewhere.

Central America

Like respondents in most participating countries, internet users in Central America consider finding information and communicating to be the most valued aspects of the internet. However, they are also significantly more likely to see it as a source of entertainment: 24 per cent say they most value the internet for entertainment, compared to 12 per cent worldwide. Much of this entertainment seems to derive from social networking, with 67 per cent of respondents saying they enjoy social networks, compared to 51 per cent overall. Over nine in ten (91%) Central Americans think access to the internet should be a fundamental right, while their main concerns about the internet are fraud and violent or explicit content (38% and 33%, respectively).

Chile

More than respondents in most countries, Chileans tend to see the internet as a place to communicate, socialise, and meet people—sometimes with potential for romance. Thirty-six per cent of them agree that the internet is a good place to meet a boyfriend or a girlfriend, compared to 30 per cent overall. Chileans value the internet most for helping them communicate (43%), while in most countries the internet’s most valued aspect is finding information. Much of this communication may be happening over Facebook, MySpace, and other similar websites, as 69 per cent of Chilean internet users say that they enjoy spending their free time on social networks (compared to 51% worldwide).

Mexico

Internet users in Mexico may be among the most dedicated in the world: only 14 per cent say that they would be able to cope without it. Ninety-four per cent say that internet access should be a fundamental right of all people, while 78% say it gives them greater freedom, as opposed to 78% worldwide. They are also strongly against government oversight of the internet, with 72 per cent agreeing that no government anywhere should regulate the internet. Mexicans value entertainment on the internet more highly than respondents in any other country with the exception of Kenya, with 29 per cent saying it is the aspect they most value compared to 12 per cent overall.

USA

Americans, like respondents in most countries surveyed, say that the most valuable use for the internet is finding information. However, they are more likely than most to say that the internet has given them greater freedom (85% compared to 78% worldwide). They are among the most likely to feel able to express this freedom in their speech, with 55 per cent (compared to 48 per cent worldwide) agreeing that the internet is a safe place to express their opinions. Despite the immense success and popularity of many American dating websites, Americans are among the least likely to agree that the internet is a good place to meet a boyfriend or a girlfriend: 21 per cent say this, compared to 30 per cent worldwide. As in Canada, the aspects of the internet causing most concern to Americans are fraud and loss of privacy.

Europe

France

Internet users in France are more doubtful that the internet has enhanced their freedom than in other European nations surveyed, with 34 per cent disagreeing that this is the case. Similarly, less than a third (28%) feel that the internet is a safe place to express their opinions, while 69 per cent disagree—a higher percentage than anywhere apart than Germany and South Korea. Almost a third (32%) say they enjoy spending time on social networking websites, and—like most other European web users—a slight majority (52%) support some form of government regulation. The belief that access to the internet should be a fundamental right is very widely held in France, by 77 per cent, while just one in five (21%) disagrees. A third of French internet users believe that violent and explicit content is the issue of most concern, while another third say that fraud concerns them most (32%).

Germany

Six in ten German internet users say that finding information is the most valuable aspect of the internet, while roughly a quarter of them (24%) value it most for communication purposes. As in almost all countries surveyed, internet users in Germany clearly feel that the internet has enhanced their freedom, with 72 per cent agreeing this has occurred, while just over a quarter (27%) disagree. Likewise, more than three-quarters (78%) believe that internet access should be a fundamental right. On the other hand, there are more concerns about expressing opinions on the internet in Germany than anywhere else surveyed, with 72 per cent disagreeing that it is a safe place to do so. Germans are also the least frequent users of social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace, with only 18 per cent saying they enjoy spending time on these sites.

Portugal

The Portuguese are, along with the Turks, the most adamant of European internet users that the internet should be a fundamental right, with 87 per cent agreeing with this statement. They are also among the most likely to feel that internet use has given them greater freedom, with 84 per cent agreeing, compared to just 15 per cent who disagree. Nevertheless, most (55%) still agree that they could cope without the internet. Internet users in Portugal are divided over whether it is safe to express opinions on the internet, with 43 per cent believing that it is, and a slim majority (53%) saying that it is not. The Portuguese are among the least common users of social networking sites, with just 30 per cent saying that they enjoy spending time on sites such as Facebook or MySpace. The most worrying aspect of the internet for Portuguese internet users is fraud (47%), followed by threats to privacy (22%).

Russia

Russian respondents appear to be the most internet-dependent in Europe, with 71 per cent disagreeing that they could live without the internet—a proportion which is higher only in Japan and Mexico. A majority feels that the internet is a safe place to express their opinions (55%), although they are slightly less likely than average to feel that it has enhanced their freedom (72%, compared to 78% worldwide). Russian web users also say they enjoy using social networking websites more than any other European respondents except the Turkish (66%, compared to the 26-country average of 51%). A slim majority (52%) feels that the internet should not be subject to any form of government regulation. Seventy per cent feel that access should be a fundamental right, although this figure is below the 26-country average of 79 per cent, and is the lowest in Europe. As in the other countries surveyed, the biggest concerns that Russian internet users have are fraud (35%), followed by violent and explicit content (29%).

Spain

Spanish internet users in particular appreciate the internet for information sourcing, with two-thirds saying that this is what they value most about it. The next most-valued aspect is communication (22%). Apart from Pakistanis, Filipinos, and Brazilians, respondents in Spain are the most confident that they could live without the internet, with 70 per cent agreeing with this statement. However, they are less likely to say that the internet has given them more freedom, as 30 per cent disagree with this statement, compared to the 26-country average of 21 per cent. Only in France, Turkey, and Pakistan is this figure higher. As in Portugal, in Spain social networking sites appear to be less popular than in most countries surveyed, with just 29 per cent saying they enjoy using websites such as MySpace or Facebook. Spanish internet users are also divided about regulation, with 47 per cent agreeing that the internet should never be subject to any level of government regulation, whereas 51 per cent disagree with this statement.

Turkey

Turkish web users are the most likely to say that staying connected with others is what they most value about the internet (50%). Along with Russian users, they are more likely than average to say they enjoy spending time on social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace (69%). More than respondents in other European countries surveyed—with the exception of Portugal—they believe that internet access is a fundamental right (91%). However they are less likely than others in Europe to say that the internet has increased their freedom (55%).

Turkish internet users are divided when it comes to expressing their opinions online: 46 per cent say they feel safe in doing so, but 50 per cent disagree. Turkish respondents are the only ones in the European region to consider loss of privacy the most worrisome threat posed by the internet (mentioned by 31%).

United Kingdom

British internet users are second only to those in Japan in feeling that the internet has increased their freedom, with 87 per cent agreeing that this is the case and only 11 per cent disagreeing. They are also more enthusiastic users of social networking sites than their Western European neighbours in the sample—more than two in five (42%) agree that they enjoy spending their time on sites like Facebook or MySpace. However, in common with other Western Europeans, they are inclined to feel that there is a case to be made for some government regulation of the internet—55 per cent of Britons disagree that the internet should never be regulated by government, compared to 43 per cent who agree. They are also slightly less likely than the 26-country average to feel that internet access should be a fundamental right (75%).

Africa and the Middle East

Ghana

Fraud is the main concern relating to the internet worldwide, and the internet users in Ghana are the most likely among all surveyed to say this is their greatest worry (59%). Like respondents in Egypt, Turkey, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Chile, web users in Ghana are more likely than average to say that communication and interaction with people is the aspect of the internet they most value (41%). Ghanaian web users are enthusiastic participants in social networking sites: 78 per cent say they enjoy using websites such as Facebook or MySpace. They are more likely than average to say they feel safe expressing opinions online (74%). On these two questions, they are similar to users in the other African and Middle Eastern countries surveyed. Ghanaian web users are more accepting than average of the idea of using the internet to make romantic connections (48%). However, their level of dependence on the internet is below average: 62 per cent agree they can cope without it. In this they resemble respondents in other countries in the Africa/Middle-East region, with the exception of Egypt.

Egypt

Egyptians are most concerned about violent and explicit content on the internet (47%), and are second only to the Filipino public in the strength of this concern. Kenyans are the only others in the Africa/Middle East region who cite this as their greatest internet-related worry. Like most other internet users in this region, Egyptians tend to feel safe expressing their opinions online (73%), and to enjoy using social networking sites (76%). Web users in Egypt are more likely than average to value the internet as a means of staying connected with others: 45 per cent say that communication and interaction with people is the aspect they most value about the internet. Egyptian users are more likely than others in the Africa/Middle East region to indicate a dependence on the internet, with more than half (55%) saying they could not cope without it.

Kenya

Kenyan internet users are the most likely to appreciate getting access to music and film via the internet: 30 per cent cite this as the aspect they value most about the internet. This is a larger proportion than in any other country surveyed. Web users in Kenya are also much more likely than average to agree that they enjoy spending time on networking sites like Facebook or MySpace (86%). Along with users in other Africa/Middle East countries, those in Kenya are much more likely than average to say they feel safe expressing opinions online (73%). Kenyan web users are also the most likely, after those in Pakistan, to disagree with the opinion that internet access is a fundamental right (27%).

Nigeria

Nigerian web users are the most enthusiastic users of social networking sites, with 92 per cent agreeing that they enjoy spending time on such sites as Facebook or MySpace. They are also the most likely group to agree that the internet is a good place to find a romantic partner (62%), and to say they feel safe expressing opinions online (85%). A much larger than average proportion of Nigerian users (smaller only than that among South Koreans) agrees that the internet should never be regulated by any level of government (77%). Fraud is the main concern relating to the internet worldwide, and respondents in Nigeria are more likely than those in other surveyed countries, with the exception of Ghana and the United Kingdom, to say this is their greatest worry (50%).

Asia Pacific

Australia

Australian respondents are among the most firmly convinced that internet access should be a fundamental right, with 85 per cent agreeing that this is the case. While still regarding the internet’s role as a source of information as its most valuable aspect, they are more likely than average to value the ability to communicate and interact with other people. Nevertheless, Australian web users are more sanguine than average about being able to cope without the internet, with 38 per cent feeling they could not, compared to 44 per cent worldwide. Social networking sites appear to be less popular in Australia than in other countries, with just 40 per cent saying they enjoy spending time there. A majority of Australians (53%) also disagrees that governments should have no role in regulating the internet.

China

Chinese respondents strongly believe that internet access is their fundamental right (87%, compared to 79% worldwide). Two-thirds of Chinese web users attach most value to the internet’s role as an information tool—well above the 47 per cent worldwide average who feel this way. In this they are similar to South Korean users (72%). On the other hand, Chinese web users are much less likely to use the internet for social networking, with only 26 per cent agreeing that they enjoy using sites like Facebook or MySpace as compared with 51 per cent on average. Similarly, Chinese users are less likely than others to agree the internet is a good place to find a romantic partner (17% vs 30% on average). Still, web users in China appear to be strongly dependent on the internet: only 35 per cent agree that they could cope without it (as opposed to 55% worldwide). Although they are less likely to agree that the internet should never be regulated by the government (40%), Chinese respondents are much more likely than those elsewhere to cite state censorship as their main concern related to the internet (29%).

India

Indian web users feel the internet is a safe place to express opinions—70 per cent agree this is the case, a rate much higher than average (48%), and higher than in any other Asian country surveyed. Indian web users, like those in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, are enthusiastic users of social networking sites: 67 per cent of Indian respondents agree they enjoy sites like Facebook or MySpace. As with internet users in Pakistan, those in India have faith in the internet as a good place to find a romantic partner (59% agree as compared to the average of only 30%). Indian users are less likely than average to say they are dependent on the internet (69% agree they could cope without it), or to agree the internet is a fundamental right (61%). On these aspects they are similar to their Pakistani neighbours.

Indonesia

The ability to connect with others is the most appreciated aspect of the internet among Indonesian users—46 per cent, a larger proportion than in most other Asian countries, say communication and interaction with others is what they value most. Consistent with this is the above-average popularity of social networking in Indonesia: 85 per cent of Indonesian web users say they enjoy using sites like Facebook or MySpace. In this, they resemble users in the Philippines. Similarly, internet users in Indonesia, along with those in India, Pakistan, and the Philippines, are more likely than average to agree the internet is a good place to make romantic connections, and that it is a safe place to express opinions. Indonesian users attribute less-than-average importance to the internet, are more likely to say they could cope without it, and less likely to agree it is a fundamental right. While fraud is the number one concern overall, Indonesians (44%) are more likely than other nationalities, including other Asian groups, to cite this as their most pressing concern.

Japan

These findings suggest a strong dependence on the internet among Japanese users. Eighty-four per cent say they could not cope without the internet, and 94 per cent agree it gives them more freedom—higher proportions than for any of the other countries surveyed. They also agree (95%) that the internet is a good place to learn.

Japanese web users are more likely than average to value the internet for finding information (59%), but less likely than average to agree that the internet is a safe place to express their opinions (34%). On these questions, Japanese respondents exhibit tendencies similar to users in China, South Korea, and Thailand.

The threat the internet poses to privacy is the greatest worry for the Japanese public, with 33 per cent citing this aspect as causing them the most concern. By comparison, it is the third most frequently cited concern on average among all the participating countries (20%).

Pakistan

Dependence on the internet appears to be less pronounced in Pakistan than elsewhere. Of web users in this country, 79 per cent agree they could cope without the internet. In this they are similar to Filipino users (also 79%). They are much less likely than average to agree the internet has increased their freedom (55%), or that it is a fundamental right (46%).

Pakistani users, like those in the Philippines, are more likely than others to cite access to music and films as the aspect they most value about the internet—22 per cent do so, compared to 12 per cent of the total sample.

As with Indian users, those in Pakistan are much more likely to agree that the internet is a good place to find a romantic partner (60%) and—like their counterparts in India, Indonesia, and the Philippines—Pakistani respondents find the internet to be a safe place for expressing opinions (58% agree).

Philippines

The main internet-related concern among respondents in all countries surveyed is fraud (32%), followed by violent and explicit content (27%). But the picture among Filipino respondents differs dramatically, with 71 per cent citing violent and explicit content as their main worry: this rate is much higher than in any other country surveyed.

Users in the Philippines are similar to those in Indonesia in citing the internet’s usefulness for communicating and interacting with others as its most valued aspect (48%). They, like Indonesians, are enthusiastic users of sites like Facebook or MySpace (88%), and—like users in Pakistan, India and Indonesia—are more likely than average to agree that the internet is a good place to meet potential romantic partners (42%), and that it is a safe place to express opinions (65%). Along with internet users in Pakistan, those in the Philippines are much more likely than others to agree that they could cope without the internet (79% vs the overall average of 55%).

South Korea

South Korean users believe the internet is a good place to learn (94% agree). Like their Chinese counterparts, they value it most highly as a source of information (72% cite this aspect). South Korean web users are not keen on making romantic connections on the internet: only 15 per cent agree it is a good place to do so. Chinese and Thai users are similarly negative about this type of use.

South Korean users are the most clearly opposed to government regulation of the internet—83 per cent agree it should never be regulated—and they are more wary than users in most other countries about expressing opinions online, with only 30 per cent agreeing it is safe to do so.

They are the most likely to agree that internet access is a fundamental right (96%). Users in China and Thailand express similar views on this last question. South Koreans are the most likely to be concerned about loss of privacy—41 per cent of the respondents cite this as their main internet-related worry.

Thailand

While Thai web users believe very strongly that internet access should be a fundamental right (91%), they emerge as somewhat more wary than average about expressing their opinions online—58 per cent disagree that the internet is a safe place to do this, compared to a little over two in five who agree (42%). In this, opinion in Thailand is closer to opinion in Japan than to other Asian developing economies in the sample. Nevertheless, a higher proportion than average (83%) agrees that the internet has increased their freedom. Social networking sites are also more popular in Thailand than in many other countries—two-thirds of Thai web users say they enjoy spending their spare time on such sites. While fraud is the main public concern relating to the internet across the 26 countries, violent and explicit content is clearly the greatest worry for Thai respondents (42%).