Digital Rights 24

Open Rights Group shared this guide for political parties to help inform the digital policies in their manifestos for the 2024 General Election.

The digital rights landscape

• Data protection rights
  Improving data rights gives people more control and protection over their data.

• Platform power
  Too much power in the digital world lies with a handful of influential platforms. We want to open up the market and empower web users.

• Surveillance
  New technologies such as facial recognition and AI-empowered predictive policing erode people’s freedom.

• Freedom of expression
  Britain has a tradition of free and open speech, but our right to free expression online is being put at risk.

The right to send private messages

• Surveillance
  Our historic right and ability to have private conversations is under threat from a war on encryption.

• Privacy is a fundamental right
  Democratic governments should promote end-to-end encryption as a means to preserve our ability to talk privately with other people.

• Government, business interests
  It is vital for protecting sensitive business communications and keeping sensitive information away from hostile actors.

• Private communication is essential for freedom
  Freedom requires people to communicate openly without fear of censorship or retaliation.

• Reduces risk of crime
  Keeps personal data secure and away from the hands of criminals.

Platform power

• Putting users in control
  The content we create on social media is ours. We should be free to move it between platforms.

• ActivityPub
  Open, decentralized social networking protocols already exist.

• Would work similar to email
  With email you can email anyone. Why isn’t social media the same?

• Market competition
  Users would be free to move between platforms. They wouldn’t be tied into walled gardens.

• Puts users in control of their content
  Users would not be limited to privacy damaging apps to interact with a platform.

Digital Sanctuary

• Protecting those most at risk of digital harms
  Digital harms are exacerbating inequalities and discrimination within society.

• Protecting asylum seekers
  People fleeing oppressive regimes require digital protection as well as physical protection.

• Special category of data
  Enhanced data protection rights for people at higher risks of digital harms.

• Training and support
  To help victims of surveillance and stalking minimise their digital footprint.

• Anonymous voter registration
  Recognising asylum seekers and refugees as vulnerable people who can register to vote anonymously.

The right to appeal takedowns and demonetisation

• The right to appeal takedowns
  Protecting content creators from unfair moderation decisions that infringe on their free expression and livelihood.

• Protecting content creators
  Content creators, and business owners livelihoods can be destroy by unfair changes in terms and conditions and moderation decisions.

• A right to appeal and impartial assessment
  An Ofcom or Ombudsman appeals process to handle complaints that have not been resolved; and a simple route to the courts.

• Algorithmic demonetisation
  Many content decisions are made by AI. Content creators are often treated unfairly and need simple ways to challenge decisions.

Accountable Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• Protecting those most at risk of digital harms
  Without the correct regulation, AI systems and algorithmic decision-making risks exacerbating inequalities.

• The right to human review
  Ensuring everyone has the right for a human review of any AI decision made about their life.

• Transparency
  People should be able to see how AI systems make decisions about them and the data sources they use.

• Regulation
  AI systems should be regulated in a way that helps to protect people’s data rights.

• Exacerbating inequalities
  AI must be stopped from magnifying or perpetuating existing biases within society.

Stronger data rights and a functioning ICO

• Data protection rights
  Stronger data protection rights for individuals and reform of the ICO are needed to protect individuals and build trust in the digital economy.

• The ICO isn’t working
  Currently many complaints to the ICO are not resolved. The watchdog rarely takes enforcement action against organisations, other than light touch ‘reprimands’.

• Protecting individuals
  Stronger individual data rights help to protect vulnerable groups from digital harms.

• Reduction in cybercrime
  Controls on the proliferation of personal data online to help to reduce fraud and cybercrime.

• Helps tackle injustice
  Campaign groups fighting scandals and injustice should be able to launch collective complaints to the ICO.

Restricting AI empowered surveillance

• Surveillance
  New technologies that erode people’s right to a private life, such as facial recognition, are increasingly being deployed.

• Pre-crime
  Prohibiting the use of AI to try and ‘predict’ individuals’ behaviour and risk of committing crimes.

• AI in workplaces and schools
  Banning harmful behavioural analysis in schools and workplaces.

• Facial recognition
  Give people protections against AI empowered live facial recognition systems.

• Biometrics
  Restrict biometric categorisation systems using sensitive characteristics (e.g. gender, race, ethnicity).

Protecting free speech online

• Protecting our speech
  Freedom of speech online is under threat from algorithmic censorship, employer overreach and unfair copyright and defamation claims.

• Employer Protection
  Other than for politically restricted roles employees should be free to express themselves online without workplace punishment.

• Unfair copyright and defamation claims
  There should be punishments for solicitors and organisations who issue clearly unfounded copyright or defamation claims.

• Transparent censorship
  Internet Service Providers should always explain why a site is being blocked. Shadow bans should be banned

• Right to appeal censorship
  Individuals should have a right to appeal wrongful censorship on digital platforms.

Consumer friendly and sustainable technology

• Platform power
  Market competition is restricted by digital rights management tying people to platforms, and practices that exploit people’s data.

• Do not track default
  Do not track settings should be the default options for browsers and software with explicit consent required to share.

• Open source solutions
  Government procurement practices should favour open standards and open source solutions.

• Right to repair
  People should be free to repair devices and use replacement parts and consumables from different suppliers.

• Digital rights management
  People should be able to move content they have purchased between platforms. DRM locks ought to be removed when copyright expires.

• Platform liability
  Marketplaces should share some liability for scam adverts and sellers who flout regulations.

Data and Democracy

Digital Rights Manifesto

Find Out More