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A draft declaration on digital rights is currently being discussed in the Human Rights Committee of the House of Representatives. This is a matter of great interest because it concerns the protection of our rights in this new era.
Every era is marked by its own struggles and its own achievements in the field of human rights. There are two defining characteristics of our era.
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On the one hand, the speed at which things are changing. The only constant has always been change. Today, the only constant is rapid change. If we consider the possibilities that technology offers today compared to those available just one or two years ago, we can grasp the speed we’re talking about. The pace is such that more and more voices around the world are speaking out about the need to slow down, or even halting any further development, so that humanity can ensure the safe development of artificial intelligence.
On the other hand, there is the massive impact on human rights. Human rights have never been a matter of numbers or majority opinion; indeed, that would run counter to their universal nature. However, I do not know if there has ever been another moment in the history of humankind when the rights of such a large number of people—from one end of the earth to the other—could be affected in real time, all at once.
Unfortunately, we do not see the same speed in the responses we, as societies, have in protecting human rights in this new environment. Technology is far ahead of any regulation.
One of the most important rights that takes on a different meaning and significance in the digital world is every person’s right to privacy.
Our privacy in the digital world is far more vulnerable than our privacy in the real world. The consequences of this vulnerability extend beyond the realm of human rights and touch the very fabric of democracy itself. There are examples from around the world of how mass surveillance can lead to the targeted and widespread manipulation of people, how it can influence election results and thus interfere with the very fabric of democracy itself.
The risk of violating human privacy is therefore incomparably greater in the digital world. Similarly, the consequences of such a violation for individuals and for democracy are incomparably greater. We must therefore further safeguard privacy as a human right in the digital world—both against state power and against third parties.
The other, equally important aspect of digital rights is that of accessibility in the digital world. Do all people have equal opportunities in the digital world? Do they have equal opportunities in digital literacy? Is the universality of human rights guaranteed in the digital environment?
There is a large group of people who, due to their age and level of education, are no longer able to participate in the new digital age. We boast about the increase in life expectancy, but we forget that the goal is not merely for people to live longer. The goal is for them to be able to live a life of quality, and to live it with dignity. And dignity includes the ability to perform simple daily tasks independently, just as they would in the real world. To communicate with their bank, pay their bills, schedule their appointments, and travel. A person’s rights cannot depend on a screen, on passwords and apps that not everyone can use.
Nor can we create a dead end and thereby marginalize the generation that shouldered the burden so that today’s generation could build its future. Marginalization leads to exclusion. And it adds to the social exclusion already experienced by this particular age group.
However, there are other groups to whom we owe accessibility. Such as people with disabilities, the digitally illiterate, and people living in dire economic conditions that prevent them from accessing devices and applications. This is where regulation is needed. First, to ensure that certain basic needs can continue to be met through conventional means. And second, to ensure that, at least in essential areas such as health and education, we all have equal access.
