Policy Outline:
- Purpose
Reinforce Constitutional rights over private digital property. Ensure individuals retain full autonomy over software installations, updates, and access permissions on personal devices. - Scope
Applies to all software providers, particularly concerning forced updates or unauthorized installations on privately-owned hardware. - Policy
- All software updates or new feature rollouts must require explicit, documented consent from the device owner prior to installation.
- Companies must provide clear, accessible opt-out options for any software feature deemed unnecessary or intrusive by the user.
- Companies are prohibited from any action that breaches the 1st and 4th Amendments, including data surveillance, forced installations, or access to personal data without due process.
- Enforcement and Accountability
- Non-compliance shall result in substantial penalties, proportionate to the number of affected users and the severity of infringement on personal rights.
- Repeat offenders face increased fines, potential criminal charges, and may be mandated to provide financial compensation directly to impacted individuals.
- User Rights
- Explicit ownership over personal data and software, including the right to refuse any feature not essential to device functionality.
- Right to due process if access to personal data is requested by any entity, including full transparency and the opportunity to contest access.
- Digital Ownership and Storage Rights
- Users retain full ownership over digital purchases, including the right to store the product locally, free from dependency on external servers or platforms.
- Companies offering digital-only products must provide the option for users to download a local, fully functional copy of any purchased content, allowing offline access identical to physical ownership.
- Forced cloud-only storage or dependency on company servers for purchased digital content is prohibited, aligning digital purchases with the rights granted by physical ownership.
- Mandatory Separate Consent for Updates and Installations
- All software updates and new product installations must present users with clear, separate consent options, allowing acceptance or rejection of each update or installation individually.
- Declining an update or installation must not impact the functionality of existing software.
- Companies are prohibited from enforcing automatic or bundled updates that bypass user consent, ensuring complete control over any modifications to purchased software or devices.
Conclusion
Reaffirm user autonomy and privacy, emphasizing that technology companies cannot claim authority over privately-owned digital devices, nor restrict access to digital purchases through server dependency.