1/ On The Digital Rights Charter
The fundamental premise of 6529 is that the same constitutional rights that exist in the physical world should apply in the digital world.
It is a premise that constitutional democracies are good, even when we use computers.
The fundamental premise of 6529 is that the same constitutional rights that exist in the physical world should apply in the digital world.
It is a premise that constitutional democracies are good, even when we use computers.
2/ One step back first - I think one fundamental disconnection with many people is that the digital world does not feel "real"
"You cannot own personal possesions - they have to be held at a custodian, for [your safety]" triggers obvious alarm bells.
"You cannot own personal possesions - they have to be held at a custodian, for [your safety]" triggers obvious alarm bells.
3/ Similar things are proposed for digital objects like NFTs on a regular basis and are the subject of polite discussion (not alarm) among lawmakers.
But the digital world is very real; it is where many spend most of their days and soon it will envelop *everything*
But the digital world is very real; it is where many spend most of their days and soon it will envelop *everything*
4/ A world where you are free to own a house and a car and a painting; where you are free to print a poster with your political views; where you are free to discuss with someone privately in your home, BUT all those rights go away as soon as you touch a computer is a dystopia
5/ One response I see is "lets return to the ways of our forefathers and walk away from technology"
This is dumb & defeatist. The 4th industrial revolution is going to give god-like powers to people who use technology.
They need to be under the same constitutional umbrella
This is dumb & defeatist. The 4th industrial revolution is going to give god-like powers to people who use technology.
They need to be under the same constitutional umbrella
6/ In any case, this is all well and good, but what does this mean in practice?
Everyone here agrees that "you should be able to own an NFT in your ETH wallet"
But how can we communicate this to people outside our world at a conceptual level?
Everyone here agrees that "you should be able to own an NFT in your ETH wallet"
But how can we communicate this to people outside our world at a conceptual level?
7/ A few months ago, I made a draft of how I thought about this and I have shared it with various people privately who helped improve it.
I am going to share it with everyone publicly today in this thread in order to gather broader feedback
I am going to share it with everyone publicly today in this thread in order to gather broader feedback
8/ After a few days of feedback, we can call it a final v1.0 and I will put it on a website
digitalrightscharter.org
hopefully with some ways to "sign" it, share it and so on.
And then we share outside our world and see their feedback too.
digitalrightscharter.org
hopefully with some ways to "sign" it, share it and so on.
And then we share outside our world and see their feedback too.
9/ I will post it in parts here so we can have a discussion on specific articles here on twitter.
we start by doing a little pre-ambling, on the topics mentioned above
we start by doing a little pre-ambling, on the topics mentioned above
10/ Then we go to the Digital Rights themselves
This one will look familiar to our American readers
"1.Everyone has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in the digital realm. "
This one will look familiar to our American readers
"1.Everyone has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in the digital realm. "
11/ Right to personal ownership
"2. Everyone has the right to own, and hold in their own direct possession and control, digital objects, without unreasonable burdens."
"2. Everyone has the right to own, and hold in their own direct possession and control, digital objects, without unreasonable burdens."
12/ Freedom to Transact
"3. Everyone has the right to be free to transact those digital objects, without unreasonable burdens."
"3. Everyone has the right to be free to transact those digital objects, without unreasonable burdens."
13/ This should also look familiar
"4. Everyone has the right to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures of their digital objects and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation,...
"4. Everyone has the right to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures of their digital objects and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation,...
14/ #4 continued
"... and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
"... and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
15/ This is a new one for open-source
"5. Everyone has the right to participate in the creation and maintenance of digital public commons, such as open-source software and public blockchains,..."
"5. Everyone has the right to participate in the creation and maintenance of digital public commons, such as open-source software and public blockchains,..."
16/ #5 continued
"...and that nobody is held responsible for the actions of others in a digital public common that are not under their control."
We have invented some new things since the 18th century, we might want to cover them
"...and that nobody is held responsible for the actions of others in a digital public common that are not under their control."
We have invented some new things since the 18th century, we might want to cover them
17/ An explicit right to privacy
"6. Everyone has the right to privacy, including the use of encryption, in their digital life."
"6. Everyone has the right to privacy, including the use of encryption, in their digital life."
18/ #7 - Non Discrimination
"Everyone has the right to be treated in a non-discriminatory manner regardless of sex, race, color, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or other belief, political opinion..."
"Everyone has the right to be treated in a non-discriminatory manner regardless of sex, race, color, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or other belief, political opinion..."
19/ #7 (continued)
"...membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age, gender or sexual orientation."
If there is one thing that the digital world can do well, it is this!
"...membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age, gender or sexual orientation."
If there is one thing that the digital world can do well, it is this!
20/ #8 is a new one and it is as follows. We should be in favor of people owning their data and applications that let people own their data (on a blockchain) should be praised. It is the other ones that should have a regulatory burden
21/ #8
"8. Everyone has the right to exit from any digital service by claiming their personal digital data. Digital services that utilize data held on a public blockchain are presumed compliant with this clause..."
"8. Everyone has the right to exit from any digital service by claiming their personal digital data. Digital services that utilize data held on a public blockchain are presumed compliant with this clause..."
22/ #8
"...Digital services that hold data in a proprietary database must make their data available for export in common formats, in reasonable timeframes, using reasonable methods."
"...Digital services that hold data in a proprietary database must make their data available for export in common formats, in reasonable timeframes, using reasonable methods."
23/#9 - This should be familiar
"9. Everyone has the right to speak, assemble, practice their religion, conduct scientific and academic research, and petition the government in the digital realm."
"9. Everyone has the right to speak, assemble, practice their religion, conduct scientific and academic research, and petition the government in the digital realm."
24/ #10 - We should be able to contract online
"10. Everyone has the right to define contractual rights in the digital realm and allow exercise of those rights in a personal or automated manner."
"10. Everyone has the right to define contractual rights in the digital realm and allow exercise of those rights in a personal or automated manner."
25/ #11- No collective punishment - you have to charge individual people with specific crimes
"Everyone is free from collective punishment in the digital realm."
"Everyone is free from collective punishment in the digital realm."
26/ Anonymity / pseudonymity
"12. Everyone has the right to act in the digital space through anonymous identities, pseudonymous identities and/or software agents, so long as each person maintains personal responsibility for the actions of all their identities and agents."
"12. Everyone has the right to act in the digital space through anonymous identities, pseudonymous identities and/or software agents, so long as each person maintains personal responsibility for the actions of all their identities and agents."
27/ #13 is the normal stuff. We fully accept that there might be a state need for various reasons to abridge these rights.
But it needs to follow due process, with a presumption of innocence
But it needs to follow due process, with a presumption of innocence
27/ #13
"13. The rights enumerated above cannot be abridged, except for legitimate state needs, following proportional due process procedures, with the right to self-defense and a presumption of innocence..."
"13. The rights enumerated above cannot be abridged, except for legitimate state needs, following proportional due process procedures, with the right to self-defense and a presumption of innocence..."
28/ #13
"..National security exceptions to the above should be time- and scope-limited and supervised by a relevant competent court. In no case should national security exemptions be applied to collective societal restrictions of digital rights."
"..National security exceptions to the above should be time- and scope-limited and supervised by a relevant competent court. In no case should national security exemptions be applied to collective societal restrictions of digital rights."
29/ #14
"14. Everyone has the obligation to comply with the relevant laws and regulations of their respective state and community, in a manner consistent with the rights enumerated above, and to respect the rights of others to conduct their digital lives peacefully."
"14. Everyone has the obligation to comply with the relevant laws and regulations of their respective state and community, in a manner consistent with the rights enumerated above, and to respect the rights of others to conduct their digital lives peacefully."
30/ What does it mean to sign this? I dunno, something like this I think
32/ So, what comes next?
Community feedback and then we will publish.
What if you disagree with the published version?
No problem, take what you want from this and use it as you wish.
We are all in this together, we can try different approachs
Community feedback and then we will publish.
What if you disagree with the published version?
No problem, take what you want from this and use it as you wish.
We are all in this together, we can try different approachs
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