"Human freedom increasingly depends on who controls what we know and therefore how we understand our world. It depends on what information we are able to create and disseminate: what we can share; how we can share it; and with whom we can share it."

- Rebecca MacKinnon, "Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle for Internet Freedom."

It's a pivotal moment for online freedom.

In the wake of the Arab Spring, the Internet's power to transform societies and institutions has never been more apparent. But so too are the parallel risks to authoritarian regimes and other entrenched interests. And they're putting up a fight, flexing their muscle to preserve their power at the cost of citizens' digital rights.

The good news is that heavyweight organizations and observers have taken public stands for online freedom in recent days.

On Thursday, the U.N. Human Rights Council adopted a landmark resolution recognizing the right to freedom of expression online and calling on states to promote Internet access. It was at least an important symbolic step, particularly given the lineup of backers, which included nations frequently on the wrong side of this issue, like Egypt, India and Tunisia.

"It doesn't automatically mean that governments around the world will start doing the right thing at all times," said Rebecca MacKinnon, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation and author of "Consent of the Networked." "But it's a very useful tool for citizens around the world to say to their government, 'You signed onto this, you have to live up to it.' "

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Efforts to preserve online freedom reveal threats