The Barcelona Bar Association (ICAB) promotes the drafting of the Charter of Citizens’ Rights in the Digital Era to turn Barcelona into the world capital of digital rights

On Monday, November 26, 2018, the second seminar was held at the Barcelona Bar Association to establish the basis on which the Charter of Citizens’ Rights in the Digital Era should be drafted, led by the President of the Bar Association, Mª Eugenia Gay and the member of the governing board responsible for the Commission of Digital Transformation and president of ENATIC, Rodolfo Tesone.

The Barcelona Bar Association (ICAB), through its Digital Transformation Commission, has promoted the drafting of the Charter of Citizens’ rights in the Digital Era, a project and commitment of the legal profession, led by the President of the Bar Association, Mª Eugenia Gay and the member of the governing board responsible for the Commission of Digital Transformation and president of ENATIC, Rodolfo Tesone. Through the drafting of this Charter and thanks to all of the participating entities in the writing, we aim to turn Barcelona into the world capital of digital rights.

Aware that the writing of this text is a cross-cutting project of international scope, the Barcelona Bar Association considers that collaboration with the different sectors of society through a participatory process is essential. That is why it is promoting the drafting of this Charter in collaboration with the Mobile World Capital Barcelona, ​​and with the participation of ENATIC, the University of Barcelona, ​​the Autonomous University of Barcelona, ​​the Polytechnic University of Barcelona-Barcelona-Tech, the Pompeu Fabra University , Internet Society, the Digital Inclusion and Training Service of the Department of Digital Policies and Public Administration of the Generalitat of Catalonia, MIT-Spain, Barcelona Tech City, IFCLA, ISACA, ASCOM, representatives of the legal profession and the business world, INCIBE and the Digital Transformation Commission of the Barcelona Bar Association.

This step forward in the drafting of the text has been possible thanks to the holding of a seminar – the second – to continue reflecting on the rights and other aspects of the society of the XXIst century which are essential to be collected in the future Charter to defend all the digital rights of the citizenship, given that the technological advance is unstoppable and at the same time some of the changes that it has brought have revealed new dangers for the people that must be preserved.

This seminar, held at the headquarters of the Barcelona Bar Association, ​​has been divided into six round tables for debate and analysis on the following topics: “Digital dignity, privacy and indemnity of the network”; “Free access, equality, online neutrality and business ethics”; “Digital assets”. Right of access to cultural contents “; “Minors, vulnerable groups and education”; “Security of information systems” and “Transparency and rights protection”.

Within the framework of the first panel named “Digital dignity, privacy and indemnity of the network”, it has been pointed out that digital technologies must guarantee the dignity of people and the free development of personality. In this regard, it affirmed that the dignity of “cyberspace” should be understood as an extension of the concept of dignity outside of this area, that is, respect for people and their actions, and this implies that the use of technologies should not negatively affect the dignity of people.

For this reason, it has been established that it is fundamental to protect personal data, image, honor understood as the opposite of humiliation, contempt, exposure, humiliation, degradation, etc. – intimate and private life, preserve anonymity; ensure the right to be forgotten, privacy in relationships in the workplace and voluntary disconnection. The second table highlighted the need for Internet access to be open and free and to avoid discrimination based on gender, race, religion, social or economic origin. The need for the Network to be governed by the principles of transparency, respect for freedom of expression and cultural diversity has also been valued. Finally, there has been a conversation about business ethics, emphasizing that the capacity for economic exploitation of technology must establish limits based on respect for human rights and the principles of corporate social responsibility. Within the framework of the round table on the right of access to cultural content, the participation of people in the cultural sphere and the fact that States must guarantee pluralism has been reflected. Issues related to copyright and creation rights have also been addressed.

The fourth topic discussed during the seminar was focused on minors and other vulnerable groups. In this sense, the need to protect the rights of children and adolescents has been pointed out. For this reason, the use of ICT as an educational tool is considered fundamental, in order to protect and limit the psychological impact it may have on this group as well as among other people in vulnerable situations. There has also been talks on the need to promote professional skills and that public administrations – in collaboration with technology companies – resolve the obstacles that hinder the use and access to new technologies in order to eliminate the digital gap.

The fifth table has dealt with the security of information systems. Participants stated that in order to address this issue they should consider the aspects related to the availability of reliable infrastructure or reliable data-resistant technology, authenticity (right to interoperable digital signature) integrity, so that technology is not used to harm people, confidentiality and traceability to know the parameters on which an autonomous system has been set to make a decision. The sixth table has served to analyze transparency and the protection of rights. In this sense, it has been considered that technology must ensure greater efficiency in the knowledge that citizens have of public and private activity with an impact on their fundamental rights, ensure compliance with advertising, safeguard the exercise of the right to access to public information and ensure the observance of good governance. The Barcelona Bar Association promotes the drafting of the Charter of Citizens’ Rights in the Digital Era to turn Barcelona into the world capital of digital rights.

On Monday, November 26, 2018, the second seminar was held at the Barcelona Bar Association to establish the basis on which the Charter of Citizens’ Rights in the Digital Era should be drafted, led by the President of the Bar Association, Mª Eugenia Gay and the member of the Governing Board responsible for the Commission of Digital Transformation and president of ENATIC, Rodolfo Tesone.