[/TR/ethical-web-principles/] Formal Objection (Proposed Statement review)

From:
  https://www.w3.org/2002/09/wbs/33280/EthicalWebPrinciples/results

[Member] formally objects to the proposal to endorse the TAG Ethical Web 
Principles as a W3C statement. To be clear we endorse and support the 
idea that organisations should be ethical and adopt ethics policies to 
ensure good behaviour in their decision making. However, we question 
whether ethics should be determined and embedded into technical 
standards by any technical standards making body.

We therefore make the following observations for your further consideration.

1. There are seven meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun ethics. 
Choice of a moral base for ethical behaviour by its nature could create 
unnecessary and distracting debate.

2. Some of the principles are subjective. For example there is no agreed 
upon definition of harm, healthy debate, or freedom of expression. These 
have different connotations for western democracies than for more 
authoritarian states. As these are value laden concepts that often find 
their bases in conventions on human rights which many would support but 
some may not. If reference were made to definitions in UN Treaties that 
are already defined and agreed, the issue of definition and endorsement 
by different societies worldwide can be resolved.

3. The W3C aims to be a neutral technical standards body. In pursuing 
its mission to develop the Open Web its technical standards can and 
should support wide and diverse use, plurality of the media and a range 
of different commercial models. Both subscription and advertising models 
are currently supported and should continue without restriction. The W3C 
should focus on technical standards, and avoid any endorsement of 
existing or future businesses or business models.

This formal objection can be resolved by replacing the document with a 
set of neutral Web Architectural Principles. For example;

“Choke points, where a small number of entities can exert control over 
others, will be identified and removed via technical means where 
possible. Where choke points can not be removed the relevant regulators 
will be notified so that they can be encouraged to use non-technical 
means to address choke points.”

Received on Thursday, 12 September 2024 12:44:38 UTC