Media Centre
A Universal Declaration of Digital Rights needed for the ‘online republic’
A campaign to create a global framework of digital rights is launched today by the UK think-tank Demos, calling for a Universal Declaration of Digital Rights to clarify ownership of intellectual property and protect a rising generation of 'online citizens'.The call comes on the back of a Demos report published today which claims young people are vulnerable to the lack of rules and safeguards online.
The year-long study, called Video Republic, documents the explosion in user-generated video on websites like Youtube. The research uncovered a sprawling arena of public debate and expression in the form of video-blogs, campaigns, short films and political commentary – driven by a generation of young people who are turning away from TV.
"We found an expanding online republic of moving images with huge potential for free expression" said Celia Hannon, one of the authors of the report. "But it is also chaotic and lacking clear rules and protections for its young citizens.
They are seizing on powerful roles as distributors and reporters, but increasingly coming into conflict with a whole host of private interests, and finding themselves at the centre of legal clashes about privacy and intellectual property.”
The report, which looked at video-making in five European countries, is further evidence that the kind of regulation called for recently by the Culture Secretary Andy Burnham would be ineffective as the web extends beyond the reach of any national legal framework. It would also risk stifling the freedom and creativity found in the ‘Video Republic’. According to Hannon:
“A bedrock of democratic rights would guarantee our freedoms as digital citizens without undermining the openness of online dissent and expression. The specifics need to be debated widely, but we can't afford to wait for governments to take the lead.”
Demos is calling for an international summit in 2009 bringing together internet pioneers, NGOs, international bodies and individuals with powers like Youtube, Google and China’s Youku to debate and draft a Charter of Digital Rights.
Becky Hogge of the Open Rights Group, a grassroots digital rights campaign based in the UK, said:
"Digital rights are often misunderstood to mean freedom for technology. But, as Demos have made clear, digital rights are about the rights of consumers and citizens. Networked, digital technology drastically changes how people's right to privacy or to free expression can be affected by state and corporate interests. It is right to call for a wide-ranging debate around these issues."
Report recommendations
The Demos report, Video Republic, is launched tonight at the BFI. In addition to a Charter of Digital rights, it makes a range of recommendations for individuals, government, educators and the private sector:
Preparing young people for ‘digital citizenship’
• Schools, universities and businesses should prepare young people for ‘digital citizenship’ and an era where CVs may well be obsolete, enabling them to manage their online reputation. They should pass on guidance from recruitment agencies and other experts to help them make informed decisions about what they put online.
Liberating the audiovisual creative commons
• Broadcasters, both public and private, should release the audio-visual material gathering dust in their archives rather than ensnaring it in complex and expensive digital rights disputes.
A digital copyright amnesty
• There are some categories of older public service broadcast material that could be afforded Creative Commons status. This process could be encouraged by a digital rights amnesty where copyright holders relinquish ownership to the public.
Tackling unsuitable content
• Rather than looking to censor online content – which has been shown to be ineffective - regulation should be based on developing peer or community led censorship and age ratings. Video-hosting platforms should enable involve users in what content to include and exclude on their sites.
Internet social responsibility
• ISPs, video-hosting services and social networking sites should pool a small portion of their profits into a foundation to support video making, widen internet access.
• A ‘virtual video-making academy’ funded by the private sector would improve the quality of videos on and offline.
Setting the statistics free
• Most important information about online activity still remains out of reach of the public. Video-sharing platforms should collaborate with bodies such as national statistics agencies and academic institutions to release statistics.
Connecting the ‘republic’ with mainstream politics
• Political figures need to avoid using online video to communicate in the same way that they would use television. Instead they should find innovative ways of harnessing the enthusiasm of their supporters.
• Official bodies like the Central Office of Information should initiate the creation of short videos that detail the processes of democracy, decision making and public service in the UK.
Notes to editors
Demos is building a coalition of partners to support the Universal Declaration of Digital Rights and take part in a summit to draft a Charter. In addition to Open Rights Group, they are seeking support form Amnesty International, the Electronic Frontier Foundation in the US, the Oxford Internet Institute, the World Intellectual Property Organisation, the Association of Progressive Communications and the International Creative Commons Community.
‘Video Republic’ is the outcome of a 12 month research project conducted by Demos researchers. It was funded by the European Cultural Foundation in the Netherlands and the Helsingen Sanomat Foundation in Finland. The study looked at young people’s use of audiovisual media in Finland, Germany, Romania, the UK and Turkey. The research involved film-making workshops, individual interviews, surveys with young film-makers, It also used expert interviews with academics, arts practitioners, youth workers, media experts and film makers.
The report will be launched on Monday 6 October at 18.00 at the British Film Institute. Speakers at the launch include conservative blogger Iain Dale, Heather Rabbatts, board member of the UK Film Council, ‘Nerimon’, a prominent video blogger, and Charles Leadbeater, web guru and author of ‘We Think’.
Previous Demos reports about young people and digital rights have attracted widespread attention, including ‘Their Space’ (January 2007), about young people’s use of digital technology in education, and ‘FYI’ (December 2007), about people’s lack of control over their personal information.
You can view a video about the Video Republic here http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=h0JX5jWv-tk
The report can be downloaded free as of 00.01, 6 October, from the Demos website:
www.demos.co.uk/publications/video_republic
Press contacts
For more information, to arrange interviews or to obtain an embargoed copy of the report please contact:
Peter Harrington – peter.harrington@demos.co.uk
T 0207 367 6338
M 07939 664133
Open Rights Group - info@openrightsgroup.org
T 0207 096 1079