Learn about the digital principles
The Commission wants to ensure people are empowered to fully enjoy the opportunities that the digital decade brings. So, it proposed a set of European digital rights and principles that reflect EU values and promote a sustainable, human-centric vision for the digital transformation.
The declaration was signed by the Presidents of the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council, reflecting the shared political commitment of the EU and its Member States to promote and implement the rights and principles in all areas of digital life.
The European digital rights and principles will complement existing rights, such as data protection, ePrivacy, and the Charter of Fundamental Rights. They will build on the experience of the European Pillar of Social Rights. And, they will provide guidance for the EU and Member States as they adapt to the digital transformation.
The European Commission has also launched a game exploring the digital principles. Click on the tab below to play it!
The principles are shaped around 6 themes:
- Putting people and their rights at the centre of the digital transformation
- Supporting solidarity and inclusion
- Ensuring freedom of choice online
- Fostering participation in the digital public space
- Increasing safety, security and empowerment of individuals
- Promoting the sustainability of the digital future
Putting people at the centre of the digital transformation
Technology should serve and benefit all people living in the EU and empower them to pursue their aspirations. It should not infringe upon their security or fundamental rights.
Signatories of the declaration will commit to making sure that the digital transformation benefits everyone and improve the lives of all people living in the EU. They will take measures to ensure our rights are respected online as well as offline. The EU will promote this approach both at home and on the international stage.
Solidarity and inclusion
Everyone should have access to technology, which should be inclusive, and promote our rights. The declaration proposes rights in a number of key areas to ensure that nobody is left behind by the digital transformation, making sure that we take extra effort to include elderly people, people living in rural areas, persons with disabilities, and marginalised, vulnerable or disenfranchised people and those who act on their behalf.
Concretely, signatories will commit to action in a number of areas, including:
- connectivity;
- digital education, training and skills;
- fair and just working conditions;
- digital public services.
Freedom of choice
Everyone should be empowered to make their own, informed choices online. This includes when interacting with artificial intelligence and algorithms. The declaration seeks to guarantee this by promoting human-centric, trustworthy and ethical artificial intelligence systems, which are used in line with EU values. And, it pushes for more transparency around the use of algorithms and artificial intelligence.
Freedom of choice also includes being free to choose which online services we use, based on objective, transparent and reliable information. This in turn involves making sure everyone is empowered to compete and innovate in the digital world.
Participation in the digital public space
Digital technologies can be used to stimulate engagement and democratic participation. Everyone should have access to a trustworthy, diverse and multilingual online environment and should know who owns or controls the services they are using. This encourages pluralistic public debate and participation in democracy.
The digital principles also highlights the need to create a digital environment that protects people from disinformation, information manipulation and other forms of harmful content including harassment and gender-based violence. And, it supports access to digital content that reflects our cultural and linguistic diversity.
Safety, security and empowerment
Everyone should have access to safe, secure and privacy-protective digital technologies, products and services. The digital principles commit to protecting the interests of people, businesses and public services against cybercrime, and confronting those that seek to undermine the security and integrity of our online environment.
The declaration calls for everyone to have effective control over their personal and non-personal data in line with EU law. It pays specific attention to children and young people, who should feel safe and empowered online.
Sustainability
The digital and green transitions are closely linked. While digital technologies offer many solutions for climate change, we must ensure they do not contribute to the problem themselves. Digital products and services should be designed, produced, and disposed of in a way that reduces their impact on the environmental and society. There should also be more information regarding the environmental impact and energy consumption of such services.
The declaration will play a key role in helping the EU and its Member States reach the objectives of the Digital Compass. It will also guide the work on the Digital Decade Policy Programme. To ensure that the objectives are being met, the Commission monitors progress: The first report analysing the advancement of the implementation of the the Digital Rights and Principles was published in September 2023 as an annex to the first 'State of the Digital Decade' report.
The declaration will also guide the EU in its international relations, helping to shape a global digital transformation that puts people and human rights at its centre.
Do you have what it takes to complete the quest for digital principles? Make your way through the digital realm by answering questions, and collect coins to win points! Characters on the way will help you choose your answer – but be careful, not all of them are as nice as they seem.
Click the button to launch the game and embark on the quest for digital principles.
Related Content
Big Picture
The EU is pursuing a human-centric, sustainable vision for digital society throughout the digital decade to empower citizens and businesses.
See Also
Member States must submit to the Commission national roadmaps, detailing the actions they plan to implement to collectively reach the 2030 Digital Decade goals.
The European Digital Infrastructure Consortium (EDIC) is a legal framework aiding Member States to set up and implement multi-country projects.
The DigitalEU Ambassadors brings together journalists, editors and influencers, active in the field of digital & tech topics.
Leading the Digital Decade, held 1-2 June, was a two-day online event focused on Europe’s digital transformation towards 2030.
From 2014 to 2022, the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) summarised indicators on Europe’s digital performance and tracked the progress of EU countries.