A poll of more than 27,000 people across 26 countries has revealed that 79% of people consider internet access to be a "fundamental right". The survey, conducted by GlobeScan on behalf of the BBC, found agreement with the UN's mission for universal web access. South Korea, Mexico, Brazil and Turkey were among the most forthright in their support.

Dr Hamadoun Toure, secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union told the BBC: "The right to communicate cannot be ignored. The internet is the most powerful potential source of enlightenment ever created". He added that governments should see the web in the same way they see roads, waste and water.

The poll also asked people whether they thought that the government should be involved in regulation of the Internet - and here there was a far greater rift between countries. Users in South Korea and Nigeria rejected any government involvement in the Web, but Chinese and many European users disagreed.

Should unsuppressed access to Pocket-lint - and the rest of the Web, too - be a basic human right? Or is the Internet merely a tool for timewasters and those with an axe to grind? Share your thoughts in the comments below.