huridocs-tech Bill of Rights for Citizens in the Global Information Society

Edited/Distributed by HURINet - The Human Rights Information Network
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## author     : abroeck@v2.nl
## date       : 27.05.00
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From: "Stuart Goold" <sgoold@csserv.demon.co.uk>

Dear Colleague,

I am writing to you as the Secretary General of CECUA and
attach one of the latest NewsFlashes for your information
which I hope will be of interest.

CECUA, the Confederation of European Computer User
Associations has been representing computer users in over 11
European Member States for over twenty years. CECUA is very
active in promoting the interests and views of users within
Europe to the European Commission and other European
organisations.


Citizenship and consumerism - what's it to you?

With the rapid development of the Internet, governments,
commercial organisations, lobbying bodies etc. etc. have
quickly realised the huge potential of the Internet. It
provides cheap and fast communication at a global level
which is unprecedented in the history of mankind.
Unfortunately, the Internet also has attracted hackers,
credit card fraudsters, criminals, malicious parties etc.

Fears and Concerns

CECUA has published a draft Bill of Rights for Citizens in
the Global Information Society. This was produced to address
the fears and concerns raised by delegates at the 1998
Brussels Conference. (see http://www.ispo.cec.be/citizen ).
This Conference and the subsequent draft Bill of Rights has
proved to have been the starting point in addressing these
concerns and fears.  There are currently two major
initiatives, the proposed Charter for Consumers by Madame
Bonino (ex Commissioner for DG XXIV) and the adoption of a
Charter for Citizens and Consumers in the Information
Society as one of the main activities of the Information
Society Forum (See "A European Way for the Information
Society" which will shortly be published as a report and on
http://www.ispo.cec.be/policy/i_isforum.html ). (The
Information Society Forum is an advisory body to the
Commission set up by the Council of Europe.  The Secretary
General of CECUA is a member of this organisation).

Is Protection for the consumer enough?

There can be no doubt that many citizens' concerns focus on
consumer issues and that increasingly robust consumer
legislation and global enforcement is essential to preserve
confidence by the general public. It only by ensuring that
transactions are secure and consumers privacy is protected
that global eCommerce will thrive and expand. Interested
partners in eCommerce, dominated by suppliers and
government, are now working to provide suitable technical
and legal frameworks.

However, consumer protection does not (and cannot) go far
enough. The essence of consumer legislation is that it
focuses on the contract between the supplier and the buyer.
There are many issues of concern citizens which are outside
this relationship, such as privacy, criminal activity,
malicious acts, hackers etc. These are issues of a social
and political nature that only governments can address and
police, by analogy a ôcontractö between citizens and the
state.

Take, for example, the example of privacy. Have you heard
about "cookies"? Do you know what they are and what can be
done with them? Well they are small programmes which are
loaded by third parties on your computer. They are usually
useful and harmless. But not always. They can remember your
password every time you log into a restricted service over
the Internet, so you don't have to type it in every time.
Useful, isn't it! However, cookies can also look at you
computer and its data and send details over the Internet.
They can look at your on-line bank accounts. Like a built in
spy.  Of course, it is only used anonymously for marketing
purposes, they say.  However, when governments deny citizens
the right to securely encrypt their data, then you begin to
wonder why!

Now that we are part of a global society, governments must
act to ensure that there are global answers to these fears
and concerns. What is needed is a contract between the
government and its citizens, and this is a responsibility
that politicians cannot ignore by stating the "the market
knows best" or leaving it to consumer legislation. That is
an opt out! It is an endorsement of anarchy! We need a
social and political answer. That is why we need a Bill of
Rights for Citizens in the Global Information Society.

The way forward - a Bill of Rights for Citizens in the
Global information Society

The voice of the citizen is not very loud or effective!
Major global multi national organisations are very
effectively and efficiently organising themselves for a
global market without frontiers - but then they have the
money!! Governments (who arguably represent the citizens)
are preparing national legislation in preparation for their
own domains (with an eye on the competition outside their
domain!). But there is no effective activity by citizens (or
even consumers) at a global level, and so their interests
are very poorly represented compared with the suppliers.
CECUA is filling part of that role, but is severely
handicapped because of very limited funding (and what
commercial organisations would fund this sort of activity!)
it is forming partnerships and working through the
Information Society Forum to get citizens, politicians and
legislators aware and informed of what is happening .

To start the debate, CECUA published a draft Bill of Rights
for discussion (see http://www.CECUA.org) which proposes
that Citizens should have their basic rights protected
against a raft of assaults by governments, commercial
interests, criminals and the curious which is guaranteed by
International agreement and enforced internationally by
governments.  This proposal has been taken up by the
Information Society Forum
(http://www.ispo.cec.be/policy/i_isforum.html ) and is
committed to drafting a Charter of Citizens and Consumers
Rights in the Information Society.  This issue will also be
taken up in the series of Global Dialogues planned by the
Information Society Forum. Action is needed urgently.
Commercial interests are very well organised with
international committees

What can you do?

1 Tell your members about the work being done by CECUA and
direct them to our Website.

2 Get your members to participate in the debate.  Identify
the particular concerns of your citizens, communities and
companies.

3 Find out what your government is doing to protect
citizens' rights and commercial rights.

4 Tell us what you is happening in your area.

5 Tell us what you would like to happen and ACT NOW!

How can you contact us?

Please send e-mail to the President:
Jon.Thorhallsson@CECUA.org or Secretary General:
Stuart.Goold@CECUA.org



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