The Democracy Lag: Updating Electoral Law and the Need for a Digital Bill of Rights [Opinion

Abstract

Reports on the need to establish a digital of from a UK perspective. The author states that ministers must urgently draft a Digital Bill of Rights to build Internet regulations based on the fact that we are citizens, not consumers — and that we own our data, not private companies. It should establish that people must give genuine, informed consent for a corporation to collect their data — and no amount of small print should justify selling it on or using it for other purposes. Terms and conditions should be much clearer, more accessible and any changes should be highlighted. Rather than several pages of new terms and conditions written in legalese, which we’re supposed to compare with equally impenetrable previous versions, companies should highlight the changes and give us the option to say no to each one individually.