Liberal Democrats propose UK Digital Rights Bill

14 Apr 2015 09:34 AM

Liberal Democrats pledge to introduce a bill of fundamental rights across the internet and on social media sites.

This insight by techUK's Shane Murphy is part of techUK's wider engagement with all political parties ahead of the 2015 General Election, sharing detail on how the General Election may affect techUK member companies and building on our asks of the next potential government as laid out in Securing our Digital Future:the techUK manifesto for Growth and Jobs 2015-2020.

This weekend, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg called for the creation of new Digital Rights Bill to be introduced within the first six months of the next Parliament. The Liberal Democrats have launched a public consultation on the planned Bill, which the party have pledged to introduce. The proposal notes that technologies advancement has increased interaction and enormous socio-economic benefits.

Key measures in the Digital Rights Bill include:

• Prison sentences for companies conducting large-scale data theft and illegally selling on personal data
• Beefed up powers for the Information Commissioner to fine and enforce disciplinary action on government bodies if they breach data protection laws
• Legal rights to compensation for consumers when companies make people sign up online to deliberately misleading and illegible terms & conditions
• Code of Practice for online services who would by law have to correct information about members of the public where it is inaccurate or defamatory
• Enshrining in law the responsibility of government to defend the free press, including the rights of journalists and citizen journalists to express their views freely online
• Prevent government from watering down cyber-security and encryption measures used by British busines

Launching the consultation Nick Clegg stated "Our Digital Rights Bill will finally enshrine into law our rights as citizens of this country to privacy, to stop information about us being abused online, and to protect our right to freedom of speech."

You can read the full consultation document here.

techUK have consistently argued for the importance of clear legal framework and called for clarity and improved oversight of surveillance powers 

techUK - in partnership with Coadec - led a delegation of growth UK tech and digital companies to Brussels to discuss the General Data Protection Regulation

If you would like to know more about techUK's work on Data Protection please contact Shane Murphy