Source URL: https://yro.slashdot.org/story/25/03/23/1842242/doc-searls-proposes-we-set-our-own-terms-and-policies-for-web-site-tracking?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed
Source: Slashdot
Title: Doc Searls Proposes We Set Our Own Terms and Policies for Web Site Tracking
Feedly Summary:
AI Summary and Description: Yes
Summary: The proposed IEEE P7012 standard, nicknamed MyTerms, aims to revolutionize personal privacy on the web by allowing individuals to be the first party in online agreements. This initiative responds to increasing concerns over web privacy, enabling individuals to set their own terms for digital interactions, rather than agreeing to potentially exploitative terms set by websites and services.
Detailed Description:
The IEEE P7012 standard, known as MyTerms, represents a significant advance in consumer privacy, having been developed over several years by privacy advocates and experts, including open source advocate/journalist Doc Searls, who chairs the standard’s working group.
Key features and implications of MyTerms include:
– **Personal Agency**: The MyTerms standard empowers individuals by positioning them as the first party in digital agreements, contrasting with the traditional model where individuals consent to terms dictated by services and websites.
– **Machine-Readable Terms**: The draft standard focuses on creating machine-readable personal privacy terms that can be agreed to by browsers and applications automatically. This innovation facilitates seamless interactions online while respecting user preferences.
– **Selective Advertising**: The standard includes a prototype term, NoStalking, which allows users to request ads that do not rely on tracking their online behavior. This feature is beneficial for both users, who enjoy privacy, and service providers, who can still present targeted advertisements without compromising user data.
– **Broader Applicability**: MyTerms is designed for implementation not only by major web browsers but also by any developer through add-ons, plug-ins, or mobile app tools. This versatility could lead to widespread adoption across various platforms and services.
– **Framework of Consent**: The push for a contract-based privacy regime challenges the current status quo of user consent. By providing a framework where users assert control over their data agreements, MyTerms could lead to a more transparent and equitable digital landscape.
– **Vision of Agency**: Searls draws an analogy with Archimedes to illustrate that individuals can achieve true agency online if they set the terms of engagement themselves, rather than defaulting to terms established by external parties.
Overall, the MyTerms initiative could profoundly impact the privacy landscape on the internet, making it essential for security and compliance professionals to stay apprised of these developments as they may influence compliance frameworks, privacy regulations, and data governance strategies in the future.