Building trust in the digital era: achieving Scotland's aspirations as an ethical digital nation

Recommendations

What will an Ethical Digital Scotland look like?

The Expert Group recognises that digital ethics is an inclusive term covering a wide range of moral considerations involving digital products, services and methods that affect society. These are already being considered under banners such as computer ethics, internet ethics, data ethics, AI ethics and robot ethics, or as part of the ‘tech for good’, responsible innovation and digital inclusion movements, amongst others. Likewise, they are manifesting in widely diverse sectors using or affected by digital innovations, from the charitable and healthcare sectors to financial services and online gambling.

Key Issues:

Privacy, Transparency, Inclusion, Rights, Safety, Democracy Power, Accountability, Fairness, Engagement, Awareness, Investment, Support, Communication, Oversight

This report has aimed to capture, interpret and synthesise evidence and real-world knowledge about digital ethics challenges affecting Scotland (albeit many are universal issues), and to make recommendations to facilitate the government’s aspirations for an Ethical Digital Nation, as laid out in the Programme for Government. The recommendations given will help steer the Scottish Government on how to enact these practically. These recommendations have been informed by the best available evidence, expert knowledge and insights from multiple publics and stakeholders. This paints a holistic picture of what an Ethical Digital Scotland will look like across all areas of society. It captures the hopes, expectations and concerns of the public and highlights how government, businesses, civil society groups and citizens can help to foster digital ethics and moderate harms.

Public trust should be at the forefront of all decision making regarding Scotland’s status as an Ethical Digital Nation. Using the Objects of Trust Framework as a means of challenging and questioning new and emerging technologies, and utilising the framework’s links to the National Performance Framework will allow for the measurement, tracking and monitoring of Scotland’s journey to realising its ambition as an Ethical Digital Nation.

In order to become an Ethical Digital Nation, Scotland will need to pledge that all the economic benefits brought via digital will not be at the expense of ethical considerations. A priority for government is to reconcile the need for top-down legislation, regulation, governance and enforcement with a large-scale push and promotion of education, awareness and upskilling campaigns throughout the nation. These should be considered priority actions moving forward. Public awareness and understanding is critical to ensuring that organisations and governments can be held accountable for the deployment and use of digital technologies. Additionally, a stronger form of participatory governance in the digital sphere will ensure that decisions made about the people, are made with the people.