UNITED KINGDOM
The Leader of the United Kingdom’s Opposition says an incoming Labour Government could create a publicly-owned British Digital Corporation (BDC), which would include an advertising-free social media platform to rival Facebook.
Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) said the proposed Corporation would include classic shows in the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) archive and offer users access to all the information held by the British Library.
“The public realm doesn’t have to sit back and watch as a few mega tech corporations hoover up digital rights, assets and ultimately our money,” Mr Corbyn said.
“The BDC could use all of our best minds, the latest technology and our existing public assets not only to deliver information and entertainment to rival Netflix and Amazon but also to harness data for the public good.”
He said the new service could “develop new technology for online decision making and audience-led commissioning of programs and even a public social media platform with real privacy and public control over the data that is making Facebook and others so rich.”
Mr Corbyn said the BDC would do away with the “insidious” adverts “which pop up whenever I log in to social media”.
“It could become the access point for public knowledge, information and content currently held in the BBC archives, the British Library and the British Museum.”
He said the BDC could be funded by a windfall tax on the tech giants and would exist alongside the BBC.
London, 25 August, 2018
