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Democrats Draft an 'Internet Bill of Rights' To Regulate Big Tech (geekwire.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the basic-needs dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from GeekWire: Democrats in the House of Representatives are promising to push for federal regulation of tech companies if they retake the House in November. Rep. Ro Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley, has drafted an Internet Bill of Rights and shared it with influential tech journalist Kara Swisher. It includes liberties like the right to access and transport personal data collected about you, an opt-in framework for data collection, and net neutrality protections. Rep. Nancy Pelosi charged Khanna with drafting the principles, according to an essay by Swisher published in the New York Times.

The list includes the right to obtain, correct, or delete personal data "where context appropriate and with a fair process." That's not nearly as sweeping as the "right to be forgotten" included in Europe's landmark General Data Protection Regulation, which took effect earlier this year. The Bill of Rights would also require companies that collect personal data to notify users of breaches in "a timely manner" and mandate "reasonable business practices and accountability to protect your privacy." Swisher calls it "an admirable list" but is concerned that codifying the principles "will be like pushing back the ocean." Many big tech companies have business models built entirely on collecting as much user data as possible.

8 of 140 comments (clear)

  1. Free speech by jez9999 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I don't see anything there about requiring free speech on major platforms that form the de facto public space today. The Democrats not enforcing free speech. I wonder why that might be?

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    == Jez ==
    Do you miss Firefox? Try Pale Moon.
  2. Easy answer by rsilvergun · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "enforcing free speech" isn't a thing. Obligatory XKCD comic.

    If you want a platform people can post to that has those protections it needs to be government run. Make a gov't competitor to Facebook & Youtube if you want that. But generally people who deride Democrats for something they have no control over are opposed to "Big G'vmt" doing public works projects...

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    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
    1. Re:Easy answer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/...

      Lets see how the org that runs it sees it.

      This same argument has been going on for a long time. Right now these platforms are playing 'cop' because of advertising and some very vocal people. However, eventually they will be brought under the umbrella of the FCC and its rules. The FCC has taken a 'light touch' on the internet to let it thrive. But both data providers and ISPs are poking holes in the very fabric of what built the internet. Freedom of speech and light cost.

      The FCC can be ordered by congress to insure freedom of speech and declare the providers of data under a new category of 'providers'. Then regulate them. It does not even have to be that hard but basically 'everyone is treated equally'.

      These companies have been ducking in and out of Title I and Title II and using whatever suits them to lock in their business and gaslight us into thinking outright censorship is a good thing. Its not.

  3. In Their Back Pocket by Cmdln+Daco · · Score: 1, Insightful

    The big tech companies have the Democrats in their back pocket. This stuff is perfectly fine to bluster about before the elections. In fact it's good politics to make promises like this.

  4. If they retake the House... by GlennC · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This tells me that this is a typical campaign promise which will be quickly forgotten once the D's and R's have maintained their duopoly. Can't have any of them outsiders messing things up now, can we?

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  5. if you can't ... by Anne+Thwacks · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Many big tech companies have business models built entirely on collecting as much user data as possible.

    Many criminals have build a career of committing crime. If caught they are expected to be punished. Companies should expect the same - and the punishment should be served by the directors.

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    Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
  6. Bill of Rights? Did you say Bill of Rights? by mi · · Score: 1, Insightful

    drafted an Internet Bill of Rights and shared it

    We already have a Bill of Rights. Now, where is my right to keep and bear weapons, huh? No Democrat shall do much talking about "rights", unless they wholly and unequivocally support the Bill of Rights — especially, the first two Amendments.

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    In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
  7. Re:Democrats might be mis-reading things by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    They're fed up with different things. The right wants action against politically-motivated de-platforming. The left isn't going to draft any "bill of rights" that stops companies from engaging in such behaviour (at least where requested by the left), and sure enough, Khanna's list makes no mention of banning politically-motivated deplatforming.