Will Britain set the standard for the digital world?
If Britain is to be a leader in the world economy, it needs a high-speed and universally accessible digital network, according to reports emerging from Gordon Brown’s address to this morning’s Digital Britain Summit. The summit’s aim is for leading players in the digital economy to make their views known and for ministers to take soundings in advance of the government’s final Digital Britain report, due to be published at the end of July. Amongst those leading players discussing the UK's place in a global digital economy at the British Library in London today were Stephen Carter, the communications minister (whose interim report was published earlier this year), Business Secretary Peter Mandelson, Culture Secretary Andy Burnham, Sly Bailey, the chief executive of Trinity Mirror, and the ubiquitous broadcaster, technophile (and arch tweeter) Stephen Fry.
Following the mighty fall from grace of the banks, it seems to be the digital industry – currently accounting for about 8% of GDP – upon which hopes are pinned for an economic recovery, according to the Amanda Andrews in The Telegraph : “Lord Carter's Digital Britain review has always had an important position on the Government's agenda, but the near-collapse of the banks has moved it rapidly higher. The digital and creative industries are one of the Government's hopes of getting British business noticed for things other than a run on a bank.” And if the digital industries are to be in the forefront of the government’s minds, this then is our chance to take the lead on some of the most important issues within those industries.
Tamara Littleton - eModeration’s CEO - writing for the FT earlier this year, states the case for clear standards on content to be included in the final Digital Britain report. eModeration has talked elsewhere (and also on the feedback to the Interim Report) about how this might be done in practical terms.
If Britain is indeed to carry the torch for the rest of the world (or at least, not drop the baton), then we need a clear framework for setting and applying universal content standards. This is most important, of course, for the protection of the vulnerable or impressionable (namely, children and young adults) from inappropriate content. But it’s also important for other reasons, such as privacy, and the protection of personal and brand reputation.
Digital Britain leading the way is not all about keeping up with the international Jones’ with faster access for every home (important though this is, and we are delighted at the whiff of funding emanating from the summit today). Leading the way in the digital world means also setting the standards for that world.
Following the mighty fall from grace of the banks, it seems to be the digital industry – currently accounting for about 8% of GDP – upon which hopes are pinned for an economic recovery, according to the Amanda Andrews in The Telegraph : “Lord Carter's Digital Britain review has always had an important position on the Government's agenda, but the near-collapse of the banks has moved it rapidly higher. The digital and creative industries are one of the Government's hopes of getting British business noticed for things other than a run on a bank.” And if the digital industries are to be in the forefront of the government’s minds, this then is our chance to take the lead on some of the most important issues within those industries.
Tamara Littleton - eModeration’s CEO - writing for the FT earlier this year, states the case for clear standards on content to be included in the final Digital Britain report. eModeration has talked elsewhere (and also on the feedback to the Interim Report) about how this might be done in practical terms.
If Britain is indeed to carry the torch for the rest of the world (or at least, not drop the baton), then we need a clear framework for setting and applying universal content standards. This is most important, of course, for the protection of the vulnerable or impressionable (namely, children and young adults) from inappropriate content. But it’s also important for other reasons, such as privacy, and the protection of personal and brand reputation.
Digital Britain leading the way is not all about keeping up with the international Jones’ with faster access for every home (important though this is, and we are delighted at the whiff of funding emanating from the summit today). Leading the way in the digital world means also setting the standards for that world.
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