Is a knowledge societypossible without freedom of access to information?

¹ International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), The Hague, NetherlandsDepartment of Information Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
² School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USADepartment of Information Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

	Abstract

Modern information and communication technologies (ICTs) are seen not only as allowing global economicactivities and the sharing of knowledge, but also as favouring transparency and democracy by creatingspace and a public sphere for civil society. The internet, and in particular the world wide web, have proveda powerful tool in both the manipulation of economic activities and the mobilization of civil society. Muchis made of the democratizing effect of ICTs in e-government. Yet there are governments that attempt to con-trol in an authoritarian manner both who accesses the internet and what content may be accessed and used.The question arises whether an information society and, more critically, a knowledge society can developin the absence of freedom of access to information, freedom of expression and freedom to access the digitaleconomy. Against this broad background the authors put forward four pillars of a knowledge society: (a)ICTs and connectivity, (b) content and the usability thereof, (c) infrastructure other than ICTs, and (d) humancapacity. They attempt to evaluate the effect of authoritarian governmental control of access and content oneach of them. It is argued from an ethical perspective, and more specifically from a perspective of socialjustice that, while a technologically oriented concept of the information society may not be incompatiblewith severe state control, a more multi-dimensional knowledge society cannot develop under such circum-stances. Freedom is fundamental to participation in a knowledge society. Purely pragmatic arguments leadto the same conclusion.

Key Words: knowledge society, information society, ethics, access to information, freedom of infor-mation, digital divide

First published on March 23, 2007, doi:10.1177/0165551506075327

Journal of Information Science 2007;33:387.

A more recent version of this article appeared on August 1, 2007


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