Digital Disruption of Human Rights

Earlier in the week, we explored the conceptual challenges to the universal human rights framework that have been brought by digital technology. Today, we shift from conceptual to concrete real world challenges, to explore the various ways digital technology may negatively affect actual enjoyment of human rights.

I. Real World Disruption of the Practical Enjoyment of Human Rights

As new technologies have emerged, public debate around how human rights are impacted has tended to be reactive, piecemeal, and often impractical. Given that so many dimensions of society have been disrupted by digital technology, it has been difficult for policymakers to see the bigger trends, to understand the relationship between the parts, and to assess top priorities.

Read More