A Universal Declaration of Users’ Rights
We’re coming up on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10. I’m a big supporter of this, and of Amnesty International, which works to protect these rights. Which got me to thinking: why isn’t there a list of users’ rights anywhere? What is the baseline that all users of every product everywhere should expect? So using the UDHR as a starting point, I drew one up.
Article 1.
Everyone has the right to products that will not deliberately harm their person, reputation, or data.
Article 2.
Everyone has the right to own the data they generate, and use it as they wish.
Article 3.
No one shall acquire or use another person’s data without their consent.
Article 4.
Actions taken without the user’s express consent should only be actions that do not affect the user directly, or only to prevent injury, death, or loss of data.
Article 5.
No one should be subjected to cruel, inhumane, inappropriately complex, undignified, or degrading products.
Article 6.
Everyone has the right to legal recourse should a product cause an injury to their person or data.
Article 7.
Everyone has the right to switch to another product and to take their data with them to the new product.
Article 8.
Everyone has access to help and support for a product.
Article 9.
(1) All users are considered innocent of misuse of a product until proven otherwise.
(2) Product designers, engineers, and manufacturers are held responsible for ensuring their products do not violate any of the articles above.
Article 10.
No product designer, engineer, or manufacturer shall attempt to deny or restrict any of the rights set forth herein, either through legal or political means, or via the creation of products.
Note: what was really interesting here as I was drawing these up is how much a part of our identity and person-hood is now tied up in our data. To do damage to someone’s data (personal, financial, etc.) is to inflict harm on them. Granted, psychic and emotional harm, but harm nonetheless.
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8 Comments
If experience really is a product, user rights in politics have a long, looong way to go.
Great idea but you would have to be careful not to stifle creativity through such a declaration. In my opinion it is important for the free flow of information, that someone can release a half-finished idea for a product in the knowledge that they are not responsible if that product does end up harming the user or their data. Articles 6 & 9, as they stand, would threaten that.
It needs some work, but in response to Tamlyn’s comment, I am sick and tired of companies releasing poorly designed, unfinished products just to beat someone else to market. There is no excuse for releasing a product that harms a user or their data.
There’s this (https://www-01.ibm.com/software/ucd/designconcepts/userrights.html) from IBM, although I like the more UN-like tone to yours.
@Mary Deaton I hear what you’re saying but what about free software? By making everyone financially responsible for their own software you’re basically killing off the open source movement.
There is a user bill of rights and it was issued in 1998 … yes it has 10 years !
http://www.businessweek.com/1998/39/b3597037.htm
1. The user is always right. If there is a problem with the use of the system, the system is the problem, not the user.
2. The user has the right to easily install software and hardware systems.
3. The user has the right to a system that performs exactly as promised.
4. The user has the right to easy-to-use instructions for understanding and utilizing a system to achieve desired goals.
5. The user has the right to be in control of the system and to be able to get the system to respond to a request for attention.
6. The user has the right to a system that provides clear, understandable, and accurate information regarding the task it is performing and the progress toward completion.
7. The user has the right to be clearly informed about all system requirements for successfully using software or hardware.
8. The user has the right to know the limits of the system’s capabilities.
9. The user has the right to communicate with the technology provider and receive a thoughtful and helpful response when raising concerns.
10. The user should be the master of software and hardware technology, not vice-versa. Products should be natural and intuitive to use.
§1. “right to products” – and whos going to supply them? It’ll have to be restated.
§8. And whos to provide that if it’s free?
Can’t apply to Free Software. Nice try though
I especially like Article 7 and would go so far as to amend it with something to effect of “the user has the right to an open market and should not be held to a device/product by financial terms.” (ie: cell phone contracts)
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