Human Rights
The same rights that people have offline must also be protected online is a widely accepted principle in human rights law. The impact of digital technology on human rights is mixed. Whereas the digital realm has opened new possibilities for the advancement of human rights and freedoms, it has also triggered and amplified infringements of the very same rights. For example, social media platforms have facilitated the exercise of our right to freedom of expression and information, but they have also enabled censorship, violence against journalists, and the spread of discriminatory or hateful speech.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) provides the UN system-wide human rights due diligence guidance for digital technology. It also launched a UN Hub to serve as a central repository that stores authoritative guidance on using UN human rights mechanisms on the use and governance of digital technologies. The Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights is another critical resource for human rights-related digital issues, with its researchers conducting detailed legal analyses and preparing future lawyers for the challenges brought by emerging technologies.
