Company requests amendments which reject compulsory data guard and protect net neutrality.
Today, Thoughtworks Brazil urged Deputies to pass an amended Marco Civil that rejects compulsory data storage and protects net neutrality. The Global technology consultancy that employs more than 2,500 employees in 12 countries, including 200 people in three offices in Brazil believes that the adoption of an improved Marco Civil will not only benefit all citizens, but also Brazilian companies.
According to the company, a successful Marco Civil framework will provide a precedent of international best practices for Internet policies for privacy protection, combat mass surveillance and guarantee freedom of speech and net neutrality.
"The world was shocked by the revelations about mass surveillance," said Claudia Melo, Ph.D. and Director of Technology for Thoughtworks Brazil. A strong Marco Civil framework will be an inspiration to governments attending the Global Multistakeholder Meeting on the Future of Internet Governance, global event to discuss the future of the Internet that is happening on the 23rd and 24th of April, in São Paulo.
“A strong Marco Civil will also protect our clients, rapidly growing digital businesses that rely on a thriving internet and mobile network to deliver products and services, educational tools for sharing knowledge, monitoring health care and crisis response," said Claudia.
The freedom to connect and communicate on the Internet is protected by the principle and practice of net neutrality, which prevents service providers from blocking, slowing or speeding up content.
Other countries in the region have laws protecting net neutrality, such as Chile and Ecuador, and Brazil should too because without net neutrality there will be an Internet for the rich and an Internet for the poor.
“Thoughtworks believes that companies and governments should avoid storing large amounts of unnecessary personal data because of the vulnerability of that data to theft or misuse', said Claudia. Thoughtworks' latest “Technology Radar” discusses the German term “datensparsamkeit”, which means “data reduction” or “data austerity”. This describes the practice of storing only data that is necessary, rather than collecting everything that might be useful.
“Germany has evolved laws, such as the Federal Data Protection Act (2009), which embrace the principle of data minimisation and data reduction, not least due to former regimes that have carried out extensive mass surveillance programs. Yesterday the European Parliament passed a set of laws that increase the privacy of its citizens", concluded the director.