Empower yourself in the digital world: a guide to your rights and responsibilities online
Subject: Law and Political Science
This library guide contains information on the concepts you should be familiar with to ensure you use technology safely, critically and effectively.
Check out the section on the legal framework of the right to new technologies.
International Day for Universal Access to Information takes place on 28 September each year to highlight the importance of ensuring free and equitable access to information in the digital age. According to International Telecommunication Union (ITU) data, in 2023 33% of the world's population was still living without an internet connection. Although this percentage has now shrunk, the digital divide has not disappeared, and this applies not just in terms of access to technology but also in relation to the knowledge and skills required to use it appropriately. To be a digital citizen, you must know how to use technology and develop the necessary digital skills to do so efficiently, critically, safely, actively and responsibly while respecting other people's digital rights and exercising your own.
The new library guide Digital rights and citizenship includes contents selected by the library staff to make sure you know all the key concepts you need in order to handle yourself confidently in the digital world.
What will you find in it?
- Digital rights: digital rights can be defined as an extension of human rights into the digital realm, and various political initiatives to protect them have emerged in recent years. In Spain, the Organic Law on Personal Data Protection and the Guarantee of Digital Rights (LOPDGDD/2018) acknowledges rights such as freedom of expression online, the right to internet access, the right to be forgotten and the right to secure communication. The library guide provides introductory contents to help improve your understanding of the concept of digital rights.
- Digital ethics: learning to act responsibly and ethically in the digital environment is essential. In this section, you will find resources to help you understand what digital citizenship is, including respecting other people's intellectual property rights and matters such as digital disconnection and digital wills.
- Digital threats: the digital world is not without its risks, and it is important that we identify and address them. In this section you can learn about online scams, information overload, fake news and disinformation, as well as the digital divide. This will help you develop critical judgement and remain safe online.
- Laws and regulations: the legal framework that governs your rights and responsibilities in relation to the use of new technologies. Here you will find laws, guides and manuals on matters such as data protection and the regulation of online platforms.
This library guide is a useful resource for anyone who wants to go online fully prepared and aware of all the issues.