DIGITAL CHARTER
“proposals for a new digital charter will be
brought forward to ensure that the United Kingdom is the
safest place to be online.”
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We will develop a Digital Charter that will create a new
framework which balances users’ and businesses’ freedom and
security online.
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The Charter will have two core objectives: making the UK
the best place to start and run a digital business and the
safest place in the world to be online.
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We will work with technology companies, charities,
communities and international partners to develop the Charter;
and we will make sure it is underpinned by an effective
regulatory framework.
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We are optimistic about the opportunities on offer in the
digital age, but we understand these opportunities come with
new challenges and threats - to our security, privacy,
emotional wellbeing, mental health and the safety of our
children. We will respond to these challenges, assuring
security and fairness in the new digital age and strengthening
the UK’s position as one of the world’s leading digital
economies.
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We strongly support a free and open internet. But, as in
the offline world, freedoms online must be balanced with
protections to ensure citizens are protected from the potential
harms of the digital world. We will not shy away from tackling
harmful behaviours and harmful content online - be that
extremist, abusive or harmful to children. And we will make
sure that technology companies do more to protect their users
and improve safety online.
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Many of these challenges are of an international nature,
so we will open discussions with other like-minded democracies
and work with them to develop a shared approach. The Prime
Minister has already started this process, securing an
agreement with G7 countries to strengthen their work with tech
companies on this vital agenda.
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Britain’s future prosperity will be built on our
technical capability and creative flair. Through our Modern
Industrial Strategy and digital strategy, we will help digital
companies at every stage of their growth, including by
supporting access to the finance, talent and infrastructure
needed for success and by making it easier for companies and
consumers to do business online.
Key facts
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Working with partners, we have supported robust action to
tackle harmful material posted online:
• the Internet Watch Foundation has shared information on
approximately 35,000 indecent images of children with six major
tech companies (Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, Yahoo,
Adobe and Google) so they can remove them from their services;
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the Police Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit has
secured the removal of over 270,000 pieces of terrorist-related
content since its creation;
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the Digital Economy Act introduces protections for
children from seeing adult material online.
• The success of the digital economy is vital to the
success of the whole economy, contributing £118 billion to the
economy in 2015: over 7% of the UK’s Gross Value Added.
