Today the British Library reveals the top 10 clauses that could be included in a ‘Magna Carta for the digital age’. The top clauses have been selected by over 30,000 voters who have visited the site and chosen their favourites from over 500 clauses published on the site a week ago.
“Visual minutes” by Sandra Howgate, created for Magna Carta: My Digital Rights with the help of Year 9 girls from Maria Fidelis School at the Web We Want Festival, hosted by the Southbank Centre — Photo courtesy British Library
The results indicate that government surveillance and censorship are the most popular issues when it comes to the Web. The top ten clauses contrast the make-up of the original 500 clauses written by schools, which showed a stronger emphasis on online safety and privacy.
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The top 10 most popular clauses are:
The Web we want will not let companies pay to control it, and not let governments restrict our right to information
The Web we want will allow freedom of speech
The Web we want will be free from government censors in all countries
The Web we want will not allow any kind of government censorship
The Web we want will be available for all those who wish to use it
The Web we want will be free from censorship and mass surveillance
The Web we want will allow equal access to knowledge, information and current news worldwide
The Web we want will have freedom of speech
The Web we want will not be censored by the government
The Web we want will not sell our personal information and preferences for money, and will make it clearer if the company/Website intends to do so
Using My Digital Rights teaching resources, students took part in debates and workshops to consider a range of issues online, from cyberbullying to surveillance. Analysis of the clauses published on the British Library’s website last week showed students who participated in workshops leaning towards safety, protecting young people and preventing bullying on the Web, over freedom of speech or freedom of the internet (29% compared to 17%).
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“It has been fascinating to see how the public’s top clauses have compared to those of the thousands of students who have co-created this ‘Magna Carta for the digital age’,” says Sarah Shaw, project manager of Magna Carta: My Digital Rights.
“The project was conceived to encourage young people to think about issues of privacy, access and freedom raised by Magna Carta in the digital age. These ‘Top 10’ clauses we have revealed today show a snapshot of how the public feel at this 800th anniversary moment about our rights and responsibilities on the Web.”
The project was jointly conceived by the British Library, World Wide Web Foundation, Southbank Centre and British Council and forms part of the Library’s Learning programme, supporting our major anniversary exhibition Magna Carta: Law, Liberty, Legacy.
Today the British Library reveals the top 10 clauses that could be included in a ‘Magna Carta for the digital age’. The top clauses have been selected by over 30,000 voters who have visited the site and chosen their favourites from over 500 clauses published on the site a week ago.
The results indicate that government surveillance and censorship are the most popular issues when it comes to the Web. The top ten clauses contrast the make-up of the original 500 clauses written by schools, which showed a stronger emphasis on online safety and privacy.
The top 10 most popular clauses are:
Since February 2015, when the project was launched on BBC Radio 1’s The Surgery, over 500 clauses have been submitted by thousands of school students (aged 10-18 years old) around the world as part of the British Library’s Magna Carta: My Digital Rights project.
Using My Digital Rights teaching resources, students took part in debates and workshops to consider a range of issues online, from cyberbullying to surveillance. Analysis of the clauses published on the British Library’s website last week showed students who participated in workshops leaning towards safety, protecting young people and preventing bullying on the Web, over freedom of speech or freedom of the internet (29% compared to 17%).
“It has been fascinating to see how the public’s top clauses have compared to those of the thousands of students who have co-created this ‘Magna Carta for the digital age’,” says Sarah Shaw, project manager of Magna Carta: My Digital Rights.
“The project was conceived to encourage young people to think about issues of privacy, access and freedom raised by Magna Carta in the digital age. These ‘Top 10’ clauses we have revealed today show a snapshot of how the public feel at this 800th anniversary moment about our rights and responsibilities on the Web.”
The public can continue to vote for their favourite clauses on the My Digital Rights website and the ‘Top 10’ clauses will remain online as an ever-evolving ‘Magna Carta for the digital age’.
See also the previous article: What would the Magna Carta look like if it were written for the digital age?
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