Civil

Envisioning the dismantling of unsolicited data use, and being a citizen in the digital realm with protected and advocated rights.

Protection from Algorithms and ‘Big Data’

Imagine an application that is primarily a web browser that also runs in the background of your device, that functions as a barrier between you and predatorial data surveillance. You create an account that functions as your digital citizenship. As a citizen of the internet, you have rights that need to not only be protected, but diligently advocated for.

While you browse the internet as a “Citizen” (using Civil) or using other apps on your device while Civil is running in the background, your usage information will flow through our legally protect VPN server that will grant you complete ownership of your data. Civil will then populate a portfolio of your usage habits and create meaningful charts and depictions of your usage: what you are/where looking at, for how long, and when. This is to empower you by being able to know how the predatorial algorithms see you as a citizen (‘user’). This also allows you to have greater self-awareness of your habits for your own sake.

Civil will also track the apps/websites you are using, by creating a profile of them based on the information they are attempting track (protect via the VPN), what they’re attempting to offer you, and how that information is being used. These profiles of their behaviors will be as equally observable and accessible. As a digital citizen, you will be empowered to have complete domain over your data, meaning that your information needs to be purchased from you with your consent. If you consent to the sale of a particular piece of data, Civil will enable a domain’s permission of its use under terms and service agreements that enables you to track where that data is being sent. Therefore, if you come across a site/app that has populated advertisements from your data without our explicit consent, you can then easily engage in legal action with an overlay. The ad/link will be blocked out, with a message stating observable illegal action of your data, and with a single press of a button you can engage in legal retaliation. Civil will carry out this process against them to protect your civil rights. This shift in power will deeply alter the digital landscape, putting it back into the hands of the people.

Additionally, if permissions of your data where granted, Civil will also overlay warning of when advertisements and/or links are populated to pander to your trends. This will add transparency and empowerment to stand against these forces that do not advocate for your betterment. Being aware that we are being manipulated is the first step, and Civil aims to take the next steps to make these predatorial structures obsolete.

Protection and Accountability of Citizens

Algorithms are not the only things we need protection from in the digital community. We also need protection and accountability from malicious fellow citizens. The browser itself will have built in social platforms that are designed to connect you with each other in a more meaningful community-like setting, rather than with anonymity void of accountability. Apart of Civil terms of service agreement, your information will be kept private for you, however, if you engage in unlawful or inhumane contributions to the digital community, you as a citizen will be held accountable and your actions will be made public. Such as cyber bulling, spreading of misinformation, sexual assaults, and all other illegal activities. If you receive an unsolicited messages or pictures from someone that is of sexual nature, Civil will allow you to legally retaliate with overlays similar to advertisements. If you engage in bullying, it will be on record. Digital misconduct, is civil misconduct, and the protection of a citizen’s psychological well beings is an absolute right.

Protection of Your Attention

While Civil is running, notifications of all kinds outside of emergencies (customizable parameters), will be preserved until you choose to engage in the Civil app. This is meant to allow you the space needed to stay focused on your real world surroundings and obligations, rather than being perpetually available for interruptions. There will also be health advisory notification while using apps to remind you of how much time has been spent on your device.

The Civil Discourse

The Civil Discourse is the healthy social media platform alternative that will be integrated into the browser/app itself. It will offer many services and means of connecting with friends and family, and areas to meet new people and converse. There will be designated areas for various social engagements:

“What’s Up?” – A space to catch up on your friends activities. You can either scroll through a feed of what they have done (publicly, of course), or you can select a particular person to see. You can also easily engage with them by commenting/reacting to them.

“Table Talk” – A video and voice chat café’ of up to 10 people at a table to socialize. There will be both public tables made by citizens that can have particular topics, or private ones for certain people.

“The Civil Press” – A space for news articles to be posted. Can be filtered by local, national, or international topics. Stories will have links for ease of sharing/accessibility, and all stories will require sources and a meaningful process of fact checking. Things unconfirmed will be flagged. Civil advocates freedom of speech, however, there will be rigorous processes of confirmation and it will be known when something is absolutely false. Civil will view stories as a public resource, and utilize it’s observational capabilities to better track origins of stories as an added dimension of processing their legitimacy to the fullest degree. Paid boosting of stories will be strictly prohibited. We live in a world where lies kill, and it is our duty to protect citizens. The Civil Press will also offer multiple perspectives on each reporting, to encourage broad world views to citizens. Stories will also beable to be linked to a “Civil Action!” page for ease of engagement on issues.

“Civil Action!” – A space to raise a voice as a citizen. The focus here is to empower the democratic process to all of our needs. ‘Civil Action!’ aims to reduce the amount of friction between something bad happening, and being able to do something about it. Like being able to sign petitions as you read an article about a current event, to beable to efficiently organize protests, to vote on public issues, donate to charities, and so on.

“The Discourse” – A public interest based forum to have more meaningful conversations and exchanges.

Having these areas completely separate adds context to what we see, and adds greater autonomy to our exchanges.