DIGITAL BILL OF RIGHTS: HARVIE CALLS FOR EQUAL ONLINE ACCESS
During today's Scottish Parliament debate on Developing Skills for Scotland’s Digital Economy, Green MSP Patrick Harvie highlighted the need to ensure equal access to the internet and robust legal protections for privacy such as a Digital Bill of Rights.
The European Parliament today backed Green proposals on 'net neutrality', ensuring an open and free internet, where everyone has access and can contribute.
Patrick Harvie, Green MSP for Glasgow and the Herald's E-Politician of the Year, said:
"If we're to reap the cultural and economic rewards of new technology we must ensure people can trust it. I welcome ministers' commitments to digital skills and infrastructure but these must go hand in hand with digital rights.
"From state and corporate surveillance to personal gadgets with hidden recording abilities it is clear we are struggling to keep pace with changing technology. We must carve out and protect civic space in this exciting digital world, and we should ensure the internet services we increasingly rely on serve the common good, not vested interests."
Patrick's parliamentary motion on a Digital Bill of Rights, which has cross-party support
London's Green MEP comments on net neutrality vote in European Parliament