WE INVITED three major UK political parties to comment on our six pledges. The first to reply was Labour, which told us it will raise the UK’s investment in R&D to 3 per cent of GDP, in line with other industrialised nations.
Its spokesman added that deputy leader Tom Watson has set up an independent commission on the future of work, looking at the impact of new technology and automation. That’s due to report back later this year. In its manifesto, Labour promises to “clamp down” on gig economy platforms that shirk their responsibilities as employers – but doesn’t specify how.
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Beyond universal superfast broadband and giving young people the right to delete anything they posted online before they turned 18, Labour’s manifesto is a bit thin on substantial technology policies. One notable inclusion is a promise to “reintroduce effective judicial oversight” of government snooping, which was largely legalised last year under the Investigatory Powers Act.
The Liberal Democrats responded with a digital bill of rights, which threatens prison for those whose companies illegally sell personal data and promises to give people more power over their information online. It would also “protect against internet giants and ISPs restricting competition”.
“The Conservative manifesto has some of the strongest statements on digital policy ever made”
The ruling Conservative party, expected to win comfortably, didn’t respond – but its manifesto includes some of the strongest statements on digital policy made by any democratic government. It effectively vows to retain EU laws that give citizens control over their data – again, allowing them to expunge any gathered before they were 18. And it pledges a Data Use and Ethics Commission to advise regulators and politicians.
The manifesto also promises to make the internet safer from cyber risks. It doesn’t say how, but Theresa May, as home secretary and then prime minister, instigated and pushed through laws widely criticised – including by żěè¶ĚĘÓƵ – as illiberal and technologically illiterate. Both the Investigatory Powers and Digital Economy Acts give government sweeping powers, while arguably exposing users to greater risk – by outlawing encryption, say.
Digital platforms may also be obliged to protect “vulnerable” users from “hate speech, pornography or other sources of harm” by a new regulatory framework. Again, details are vague. While forcing companies to purge or block internet vitriol and extreme content may prove popular, the Tories’ approach – which to date has more closely resembled broad censorship than targeted harm reduction – will worry free-speech advocates.
This article appeared in print under the headline “The parties respond”
