The written Law is unable to catch-up with the fast pace of technology — GDPR is an example
The law is still observing a speed limit while the high tech field is breaking new records with the speed of it’s industrial and social revolution. Have you recently seen these terms:
“Developers’ code of conduct”
“Forum’s acceptable rules”
“Platform’s code of conduct”
“Developers’ moral obligations” ?
These terms and links are spread all over the Internet with anything new and AI. The pace with which the scientific industry is moving, the Govts and the legal institutions are unable to cope with it. Be it designer babies or the complexity of your data online — the written law seems pretty “unavailable”. Therefore, in the technology world, the industry is self-correcting and auto-realigning itself with laws that are based on an inward morality.
Morality and the Dog
Morality exists from within. Even dogs have a sense of morality; when they do something wrong, they know it, it’s written on their faces and therefore the videos are famous all over YouTube and Instagram (Just search for guilty dog). The same formula at the moment is applicable in the “High Technology” field. We, ourselves are deciding what’s right and what’s wrong. In addition, as I always say: we have blindly walked in into a new era and are probably still aloof of our surroundings. With the work I have been doing since 2016, I had to put my morality in and decide on what’s right and what’s wrong. It is a burden as well and I take my cues from the “Zietgiest”. i.e. The spirit of times. I see what will be acceptable in today’s society. **
The Law has failed you (the user) with your data and identity:
Let’s take the example of GDPR (a draconian, EU Law)
The Gif above features in the new DID platform and tries to prove a point: In the fight of countries vs the data stealers, you the user are unable to deal a blow. The law changes and the giant companies are able to tackle the change in the law with a simple “I Agree” button. Because the law does not state how simplied or easy the process should be to delete your information, the corporations have hidden the menu button somewhere you can’t find.
When we talk of tax avoidance by the big corporate, the reason is that the tax mechanism for the corporations this size and operating in a new world and manner doesn’t exist. So, taking out the the morality issue, they are doing the right thing. Of course, a business exists to make money. A law doesn’t even begin to cover how it should be taxed — therefore, legally, you can. Just like tax avoidance happened 5 years ago and it’s now that the law has caught up, your data and your ID was stollen 4 years ago. It’s now that it has come to light. And we, the users, are crying over spilt milk.
The “GDPR fiasco” like the “EU’s Cookie monster scheme” has only defaced websites for you. 8 months on from GDPR application:
- Is your data safe?
- Are you not being tracked anymore?
- Have you ever requested your browsing history from a website?
- How much of your data has been deleted from servers?
Chances are that you will rate GDPR roughly a 0 if you were to answer the questions above.
It’s time for the users to take action:
We cry about how we are being tracked. We loathe how cookies track us across websites. We complain to our Govts, lawmakers and charitable organisations. But what are we (the users) doing about this situation?
We need to take action. And within this discussion, I’d like to welcome the first ever DID users to the platform. The DID platform is started by the users, it’s for the users and this is us fighting back: saying we want something else. If laws concerning privacy of your data are to be made, isn’t it time that we, the users, also get involved?
Unless the users rise up, revolt and ask for a change, I see no new law coming into force that will safegaurd your digital life and identity. Rise up!
** The writer of this article had a huge moral dilemna while constructing DID V3: The vector points of your face can tell a computer whether you are pretty or not. (Seriously, even 6 month old babies can distinguish between good looking people — their pupils dialate) So, we started greeting the “Good looking” people with a “Hey Handsome” phrase. But then, taking political correctness into account, this feature was removed. Now, the computer does not categorise people by their good looks. A function that computers could do well was discarded because of “Political correctness”. Boooorrrriiiinnngggg !
