Thread by @EinsteinsAttic

So what *is* this "Digital Regulation: Driving growth & unlocking innovation" policy paper? Another "strategy"? A white paper for #DPA2022?

If it's about #regulation, then how will @OliverDowden's "unashamedly pro-tech approach" protect people's #rights?

gov.uk/government/pub…

In his introduction to "#ThePlan", @OliverDowden says he'll "shortly publish a #plan for a pro-growth data regime" 🤔

If he has an ACTUAL plan, or frankly a clue, then why not just #publish the damn thing? Why all the waffle?

Hand-wavy platitudes like these 👇 ain't worth Jack:

Just so we're clear, this "#Plan" is supposed to "start a #conversation" about "#TenTechPriorities" that @DCMS published on a "shorthand stories"(?) page that DOESN'T ONCE MENTION PEOPLE'S #RIGHTS!!

dcms.shorthandstories.com/Our-Ten-Tech-P…

Does this Government think it can take us for fools?

But wait!

"#ThePlan" and "conversation" aren't all...

There's another (count 'em!) FIVE "#strategies" and a "#Review" 👇 - not forgetting the risible #TIGRR report, of course.

This isn't being #digital or #innovative; it's the sort of #monumental #bureaucratic #clusterfuck...

...that only a bunch of naïve, entitled, tech eager-beaver types at the #MinistryOfFun and a cabal of ahistorical, rights-averse, out-of-touch grey men listening to their patrons could ever think would '#stimulate' anything.

Least of all an #economy!

🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

As anyone with any experience of the process will tell you, one 'tell' that gives away poor #legislation or #regulation is that it disproportionately relates to a particular 'use case'.

Obviously Ministers and officials at @DCMS (wrongly) believe this doesn't apply to them...

And as anyone with any understanding of the internet over the last 30 years will tell you, undermining #encryption not only undermines EVERYONE'S #safety and #security; it stifles #innovation too.

The way it's going about the #OnlineSafetyBill, @DCMS will MAKE it a #DigitalHarm!

On "Embedding our principles", it can be quite funny watching a tail try to wag the dog!

But, given @DCMS's lamentable lack of delivery meant it couldn't even hold onto (all of) #digital policy, good luck with this 👇

I dunno. Does this 👇 and the rest of the #WordSalad look like "a #Plan" to you?

Or more of a desperate #ploy to be seen as #salient? And making busy...

And in case anyone (HM Opposition?) is thinking there aren't far clearer, better alternatives, it'd be worth checking in with the bits of #CivilSociety that actually GET #digital, #tech and #innovation before writing us off as "those pesky #privacy people".

We'll still be here.