The Acts of Convention

House of Deputies

The House of Deputies Committee on Social Justice and United States Policy presented its Report #8 on Resolution D020 (Addressing Implications of the Digital Age) and moved adoption with amendment.

Original Text of Resolution:

(D020)

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,

That the 80th General Convention acknowledge that we are living in a time when technology is both opening new doors for connection and possibility, and also mechanisms for surveillance and intrusion, and that as a society and as a church we have not fully grappled with the practical and ethical implications of the transition to the Digital Age; and be it further

Resolved, That this Convention encourage the Theology Committee of the House of Bishops to consider studying and reporting on the uses and abuses, possibilities and detriments of technology in our daily and institutional lives, including for prayer and worship, work, and family life, and on the ethical and theological implications of the new Digital Age for our interior lives, our prayer practices, our connections to each other and to all creation—and ultimately, our connection to God; and be it further

Resolved, That The Episcopal Church, with the help of the Office of Government Relations and the Episcopal Public Policy Network, support policies at the local, state, national, and international levels of governance and agreement to:

• Regulate technology companies to protect consumers, especially children and youth, from unreasonable surveillance, personal data collection, addictive features, and harmful content;
• Regulate the use of digital technology and artificial intelligence in the workplace to surveil, monitor, and manage workers, in order to uphold workers’ rights to organize, to privacy, to safe working conditions, and to equal opportunity;
• Regulate the use of data collection and storage by public authorities, including local, national and international law enforcement agencies, to safeguard society while shielding people from unreasonable intrusions of privacy;
• Support public investment to close the digital wealth and racial divide in access to technology and technology education; and be it further

Resolved, That The Episcopal Church call upon large data and technology companies to carry out independent and ongoing ethical reviews of their products and their impacts on people, especially vulnerable populations such as children and youth, and society as a whole including our democratic systems and workplaces, and to have processes in place to mitigate harm; and that the Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility of the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church be tasked with engaging relevant companies in the Church’s investment portfolio on these ethical questions.

Committee Amendment:

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,

That the 80th General Convention acknowledge that we are living in a time when technology is both opening new doors for connection and possibility, and also mechanisms for surveillance and intrusion, and that as a society and as a church we have not fully grappled with the practical and ethical implications of the transition to the Digital Age; and be it further

Resolved, That this Convention encourage the Theology Committee of the House of Bishops to consider studying and reporting on the uses and abuses, possibilities and detriments of technology in our daily and institutional lives, including for prayer and worship, work, and family life, and on the ethical and theological implications of the new Digital Age for our interior lives, our prayer practices, our connections to each other and to all creation—and ultimately, our connection to God; and be it further

Resolved, That The Episcopal Church, with the help of the Office of Government Relations and the Episcopal Public Policy Network, support policies at the local, state, national, and international levels of governance and agreement to:

• Regulate technology companies to protect consumers, especially children and youth, from unreasonable surveillance, personal data collection, addictive features, and harmful content;
• Regulate the use of digital technology and artificial intelligence in the workplace to surveil, monitor, and manage workers, in order to uphold workers’ rights to organize, to privacy, to safe working conditions, and to equal opportunity;
• Regulate the use of data collection and storage by public authorities, including local, national and international law enforcement agencies, to safeguard society while shielding people from unreasonable intrusions of privacy;
• Regulate the use of Cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens to reduce their effect on our planet, climate, and environment.
• Support public investment to close the digital wealth and racial divide in access to technology and technology education; and be it further

Resolved, That The Episcopal Church call upon large data and technology companies to carry out independent and ongoing ethical reviews of their products and their impacts on people, especially vulnerable populations such as children and youth, and society as a whole including our democratic systems and workplaces, and to have processes in place to mitigate harm; and that the Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility of the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church be tasked with engaging relevant companies in the Church’s investment portfolio on these ethical questions.

Motion carried

Resolution adopted with amendment

(Communicated to the House of Bishops in HD Message #8)