Internet – Photo © Anatoly Vartanov – Fotolia
(BRUSSELS) – The EU proposed Wednesday a Declaration on digital rights, to act as a guide for the EU’s ‘digital transformation’, and a reference framework for people and a guide for businesses and policy-makers.
The draft declaration aims to give everyone a clear reference point about the kind of digital transformation Europe promotes and defends, says the EU. It would also provide a guide for policy makers and companies when dealing with new technologies.
The Commission says the rights and freedoms enshrined in the EU’s legal framework, and the European values expressed by the principles, should be respected online as they are offline. Once jointly endorsed, the Declaration would also define the approach to the digital transformation which the EU will promote throughout the world.
“We want Europeans to know: living, studying, working, doing business in Europe, you can count on top class connectivity, seamless access to public services, a safe and fair digital space,” said Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton: “The declaration of digital rights and principles also establishes once and for all that what is illegal offline should also be illegal online. We also aim to promote these principles as a standard for the world.”
The draft declaration covers key rights and principles for the digital transformation, such as placing people and their rights at its centre, supporting solidarity and inclusion, ensuring the freedom of choice online, fostering participation in the digital public space, increasing safety, security and empowerment of individuals, and promoting the sustainability of the digital future.
These rights and principles should accompany people in the EU in their everyday life: affordable and high-speed digital connectivity everywhere and for everybody, well-equipped classrooms and digitally skilled teachers, seamless access to public services, a safe digital environment for children, disconnecting after working hours, obtaining easy-to-understand information on the environmental impact of our digital products, controlling how their personal data are used and with whom they are shared.
Factsheet on digital rights and principles for everyone in the EU
