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What Should Be In a Technology Bill of Rights?

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the careful-wording dept.

snydeq writes "The Deep End's Paul Venezia argues in favor of the creation of a Technology Bill of Rights to protect individuals against malfeasance, tyranny, and exploitation in an increasingly technological age. Venezia's initial six proposed articles center on anonymity rights, net neutrality, the open-sourcing of law enforcement software and hardware, and the like. What sort of efficacy do you see such a document having, and in an ideal world, which articles do you see as imperative for inclusion in a Technology Bill of Rights?"

8 of 247 comments (clear)

  1. The right to bear arms by davidwr · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Er, the right to defend yourself against the evils of viruses, malware, and if I dare to be redundant, DRM.

    --
    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
  2. Nothing by digsbo · · Score: 5, Insightful
    We don't need it. The bill of rights already protects our personal rights and limits the federal government's powers over the states and the citizens.

    Oh, wait, the Constitution is routinely ignored by the Federal Government. So I'm sure a non-binding technology bill of rights will have a huge impact on limiting the Federal Government's actions...

    1. Re:Nothing by Shakrai · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The bill of rights already protects our personal rights and limits the federal government's powers over the states and the citizens.

      Actually the Bill of Rights just codified our rights. Our rights are inalienable regardless of whether or not they are listed in the Bill of Rights.

      Oh, wait, the Constitution is routinely ignored by the Federal Government. So I'm sure a non-binding technology bill of rights will have a huge impact on limiting the Federal Government's actions...

      Beat me to it :(

      --
      I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
      We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
    2. Re:Nothing by slashqwerty · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Well the U.S. Bill of Rights is certainly an excellent starting point.
      1. The right to express yourself, to peacefully assemble, to participate in religion without government interference and without government proselytizing, the right to petition the government, and the right to publish.
      2. The right to possess 'hacking' tools such as NMap, cryptography, high-performance computers, and anti-DRM tools.
      3. Prohibition on the government camping out on our equipment ala CALEA and the Clipper Chip.
      4. Right to be free from search and seizure without a warrant.
      5. Right not to testify against yourself such a being compelled to hand over a cryptographic key. Sanctions can not be imposed without due process (no three allegations and your cut off from the internet). Just compensation for government seizure for public purpose. Prohibition on double jeopardy.
      6. Right to confront your accuser (Media Sentry), right to a speedy trial, right to counsel, right to trial by jury.
      7. Right to jury even in modest civil cases.
      8. Punishment shall not be overly severe (no massive penalties for copyright infringement). Bail shall not be excessive (one million dollars bail when refusing to do your job).
      9. Other, unenumerated rights exist.
      10. Government shall not exceed its enumerated powers.
  3. Gaaah! by MindlessAutomata · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The American founding fathers, from whom the Bill of Rights came, viewed rights a inherent to all individuals and not something granted by men. Either from God, or inherent in nature (or actually both, to my understanding).

    These rights are what is referred to as "negative rights". Basically put, that you can do just about anything so long as it doesn't infringe on another's well-being. Everything in the Bill of Rights demonstratably follows from that--that the government shall not interfere. But it doesn't grant you special privileges, either--nothing that requires one else give it to you (well, with some exceptions like right to a speedy trial).

    To then go on to talk about a Bill of Rights as some arbitrarily-agreed upon standards is ridiculous and on some level scary, because it implies your humans rights and worth is something up for democratic debate and potentially is yet another chip on the political bargaining table.

    You don't have to be an adherent to natural law (I'm not) to feel or believe in that. No so-called "Bill of Rights" should demand that other private entities ought to give you special privileges or concessions based on some mob rule decision. No wonder Democrats so frequently assume that the 2nd amendment means something that it doesn't--they believe (or at least, appear to believe) that rights and apparently human dignity are government-granted...!

  4. Lets see... by Darkness404 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    1. Right to access the internet if you pay for it
    2. Right to control what software is on your computer
    3. Right to copy anything you own for your own personal use
    4. Right to use software that does not interfere with anyone else's right
    5. The Right to publish any information that is true without fear of takedown notices
    6. The Right to possess any information
    7. The Right to control your own hardware
    8. The Right to use any device for any purpose that does not interfere with rights of others
    9. The Right to remain anonymous
    10.The Right to have free, uncensored speech on your own servers

    Have all these and we would have a good start.

    --
    Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
  5. Re:Avoid Firts Post by omeomi · · Score: 5, Funny

    The prohibition of "I see what you did there" follow-ups?

    --
    ZuluPad, the wiki notepad on crack
  6. Mister Jalopy said it well by emptynet · · Score: 5, Insightful
    The Maker's Bill of Rights
    • Meaningful and specific parts lists shall be included.
    • Cases shall be easy to open.
    • Batteries should be replaceable.
    • Special tools are allowed only for darn good reasons.
    • Profiting by selling expensive special tools is wrong and not making special tools available is even worse.
    • Torx is OK; tamperproof is rarely OK.
    • Components, not entire sub-assemblies, shall be replaceable.
    • Consumables, like fuses and filters, shall be easy to access.
    • Circuit boards shall be commented.
    • Power from USB is good; power from proprietary power adapters is bad.
    • Standard connecters shall have pinouts defined.
    • If it snaps shut, it shall snap open.
    • Screws better than glues.
    • Docs and drivers shall have permalinks and shall reside for all perpetuity at archive.org.
    • Ease of repair shall be a design ideal, not an afterthought.
    • Metric or standard, not both.
    • Schematics shall be included.

    http://makezine.com/04/ownyourown/