Social Media Bill of Rights 0.1

Preamble

Conceived and composed on Tumblr, on Friday the third of September, two thousand and ten.

THE Conversations of a number of internet citizens, having at the time of their joining online communities, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of participation in social media, assert declaratory and restrictive clauses to extend the ground of public confidence in the Internet, which will best ensure the beneficent ends of its existence.

RESOLVED that the following Articles be proposed to the individuals, companies and communities, amendments to this document, all, or any of which Articles, when ratified by crowdsourcing, to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Covenant; viz. the establishment of rights of online life proposed by citizens, ratified by engaged citizens, and periodically preserved in static form, pursuant of this original seedling document.

Universal Online Bill of Rights

1. Freedom of Access and Expression. Internet service providers shall not abridge the freedom of internet access, or of free speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition for a redress of grievances.

2. Right To A Voice. A robust feedback system, being necessary to the security of a healthy online environment, the right of the people to keep and use their voices, shall not be infringed.

3. Protection from Cookies and Spyware. No automated software programs shall be loaded onto any electronic device, without the knowing express consent of the Owner, in a manner to be clearly prescribed by terms of service.

4. Protection from privacy violations. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated. Only uponprobable cause, supported by publicly shareable data, and particularly describing the electronic device to be searched, and the data to be seized.

5. Due process, double jeopardy, self-incrimination and user privacy. No person shall be held to answer for any infamous behavior or violation, unless on a presentment or indictment by presentation of data, except in cases arising, when in actual service in time of War, public or real-life danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of online status; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process; nor shall private user data be taken for public or commercial use, without the users’ consent.

6. Trial by peers and rights of the accused to review and counsel. In decisions requiring removal from the online community, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public review by a jury of the online community where in the crime shall have been committed, whose community administrators are informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against any person; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in that person’s favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his or her defense.

7. Civil trial by jury. In suits related to terms of service, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars’ equivalent in online currency, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any court of the same online community, than according to the rules established by terms of service.

8. Prohibition of excessive penalty and cruel and unusual punishment. Excessive user account restrictions shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

9. Protection of rights not specifically enumerated in the Bill of Rights. The enumeration of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people

10. Powers of Web-Based Communities and People. The powers not delegated to the internet by existing protocols, nor prohibited by it to the separate online communities, are reserved to these communities respectively, or to the people.

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We hold these Social Media Truths to be self-evident.
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Ars Vita

Social Media Bill of Rights 0.1

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