Based on the constitution, we all have rights. Though some may not understand exactly what all of these rights encompass, it is clear that these rights exist. In the digital world, a new area of rights has emerged. These are digital rights. “Digital rights are basically human rights in the internet era” (Hutt, 2015). These rights are related to our constitutional rights related to freedom of expression and the right to privacy. Again, while we may know these rights exist, we must also understand what these rights mean. Too often, we agree to the terms of service of digital tools that we use without actually reading the terms. Although we have the rights mentioned, they can be waived if we aren’t careful. The privacy terms can be very wordy and include language that specifies that we “agree” to wave these rights. The problem is, this happens without us even knowing it if we do not thoroughly read and understand what we are agreeing to. The New York Times calls this “‘the legal fiction of consent’, suggesting that people have unwittingly signed away their privacy rights to big Internet companies” (Schwartz, 2019). While there is much more to be considered, the simple lesson here is to READ THE FINE PRINT?
References
Hutt, R. (2015, November 13). What are your digital rights? Retrieved November 29, 2020, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/11/what-are-your-digital-rights-explainer/
Schwartz, M. S. (2019, March 08). When Not Reading The Fine Print Can Cost Your Soul. Retrieved November 29, 2020, from https://www.npr.org/2019/03/08/701417140/when-not-reading-the-fine-print-can-cost-your-soul