How the State Department promotes Internet freedom

The Post is right that we should champion people's ability to communicate and to access information on the Internet all over the world ["Twitter this," editorial, Nov. 21]. Online communication is the 21st century's version of the soapbox in the village square or the pamphlet passed from hand to hand. We believe that free expression is a basic human right and necessary for democratic development -- "a source of strength," as President Obama said in Shanghai.

Unfortunately, this right is under threat. Too many governments block content and harass or persecute those who use the Internet to communicate. In the past year, we have seen crackdowns on bloggers in Iran, increased censorship in China and raids on Internet cafes in Burma. And people in many countries simply lack the bandwidth or access to make use of the full power of the Internet.