Publication

Digital Explainer

Understanding Digital Rights: Definitions, Conceptions, and Myths

Published on 14 March 2025

This Digital Explainer introduces digital rights, the reason why this area of rights has developed, how they are defined, where they come from, and digital rights organisations.

Three conceptions of digital rights are discussed in turn: digital rights as legal entitlements, as a framework, and as collective action. The document further addresses three common myths about digital rights, the limitations of digital rights, and the potential approaches to power analysis in relation to digital rights.

Cite this publication

Roberts, T. (2025) Understanding Digital Rights: Definitions, Conceptions, and Myths, Brighton: Institute of Development Studies, DOI: 10.19088/IDS.2025.014

Authors

Tony Roberts

Digital Cluster Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies

Publication details

published by
Institute of Development Studies
doi
10.19088/IDS.2025.014
language
en

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