The Law is an Ass: Digital Law & Web Design with Heather Burns

Digital law specialist Heather Burns is Jeffrey Zeldman’s guest. Heather is the author of The Web Designer’s Guide to the Consumer Rights Directive, a “recovering web designer,” and the founder of a monthly ebulletin with digital law and policy news you need to know.

She explains: “While I am not a lawyer, the legislators who create digital laws are not internet users, much less designers or developers. Therein lies the problem. I view my work on digital law and policy as an attempt to build a bridge between the two parties.”

Heather and Jeffrey discuss absurd and unjust laws governing transactions on the web, including the birth of the EU cookie law (all 27 versions of it), the slow pace of government versus lightning internet development, and why web design and development need consultative status and a seat at the table.

Links for this episode:

• About Heather
  
• Sanctimonious Claptrap: Absurd Quotations by Internet Lawmakers & Influencers?
  
• Web Dev Law
  
• WebDevLaw blog
  
• Safe For Work: VATMOSS and the Adult Industry
  
• @idea15webdesign
  
• @webdevlaw
  
• "The Law Is A Ass" – Charles Dickens
  

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