In a ground-breaking move, the UK government has proposed a set of principles for the “responsible use” of a certain tech that brings in a whopping £3.7bn to the country’s fragile economy. The move has been received with mixed emotions; some are happy that there are guidelines in place while others are wondering, “What took them so long?”
The principles outline a few things that users should do to ensure the safe, ethical use of the tech. For example, they suggest that users should only use the tech during office hours and that they should not use it to plan their weekend escapades (unless of course, the highest bidder is offering a killer deal).
There’s also a suggestion that users should not get too “excited” when using the tech during lunch breaks or after-work drinks, as the consequences could be dire. We can all imagine the chaos that could ensue if someone were to get a little too tipsy and accidentally publish their personal diary entries (Oopsie, my bad).
The principles suggest that users should refrain from using the tech while under the influence of any substances, legal or not. This seems like a no-brainer, but then again, we’ve all seen our co-workers inexplicably typing away at midnight and wondered if they’ve had one too many.
Overall, the principles seem like a good idea, although it remains to be seen if anyone will actually take them seriously. After all, we’re talking about a tech that’s worth £3.7bn – that’s a lot of temptation to resist. But, as they say, with great tech comes great responsibility (or something like that).
