Rebuilding Trust in the Online World

There is no privacy in the global “village”. The social contract behind the Internet is broken. Major players treat us as commodities whose personal information and on-line footprints are “monetised” in return for service. Regulation is fragmented across geographic, technology or industry boundaries, embedding contradictions (e.g. privacy v. surveillance, retention v. deletion) and uncertainties which penalise those attempting to follow good practice. How do we make the UK a location of choice for trustworthy services which give customers and citizens genuine and informed choice between evolving business models that reflect their changing needs and priorities?

How should we address the trade-offs between privacy, security, access, ease of use and freedom of choice in a world where we supposedly own our personal information but "in practice" almost everyone, from Telcos, ISPs, search engines and on-line traders to central and local government, treats it as theirs to buy, sell, analyse and use as they feel fit?

Topics include:

• Rights, liabilities and accountability frameworks (public sector, corporate and regulatory) covering

• Privacy (not just data protection), surveillance, identity, libel and

• Protection of the vulnerable (including small firms, children, silver surfers and those most dependent on on-line services)

• Consumer choice, protection, informed consent, rights of redress and enforcement and

• Positioning the UK at the heart of “Global On-line Governance”, as London is at the heart of analogue/physical trade, providing trusted arbitrage between competing processes and jurisdictions.

How do you participate?

Please send an e-mail with note of your interests and expertise, including relevant professional and/or political experience, to the CTF Vice Chairman, Policy Studies: philip.virgo@btconnect.com