“Networked” rights and religious freedom. The Effectiveness of Rights through the effectiveness of Internet governance

Abstract

Digital culture has a valence that is affected by the ongoing globalization and determines its development. This paper places emphasis on the possibility of considering an exercise of religious freedom in the digital society, that is, it verifies how the freedoms and rights, which, as corollaries, derive from religious freedom, can be combined with an “online” exercise of worship. The digital has become the medium that breaks down the barriers of space and time more than any other: the same essential assembly of the faithful that becomes an assembly, open, but at the same time not virtual, but rather characterized by the new form of participation. Starting from the analysis of the assignment of top-level domain names, the centrality of implementing effective Internet governance will then be highlighted, aimed at ensuring among others, global integration, defense of people’s rights, and in general cultural, economic, and social opportunities for everyone while respecting the effective protection of everyone’s right to privacy and protection of personal data.