Digital technologies such as AI are transforming digital ecosystems. Credit: UN Photo/Elma Okic
By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Jul 17 2025 – Over the past several decades, digital technologies have transformed nearly every aspect of human life, revolutionizing developments across multiple sectors, including healthcare, education, and commerce, to name a few. However, these changes have also brought forth new concerns surrounding the preservation of human rights in an increasingly digitizing world.
On July 11, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR), Volker Türk, addressed a high-level event at the twentieth anniversary of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) to underscore the emerging risks associated with the rise of digital technology. With society being more connected now than ever before, people are more vulnerable to discrimination, breaches of privacy, and restrictions of freedom.
“The risks are far-reaching: affecting privacy, the job market, the right to be free from discrimination, the right to access to information and express oneself – even our shared perception of reality,” said Türk. “It is precisely in the face of massive change, that we need more human rights, not less…Our rights provide the blueprint to help us manage the enormous challenges thrown up by rapidly evolving technologies.”
Since the rise of digital technology, human rights organizations, state governments and civilians have all voiced concerns surrounding potential violations of privacy. Many digital applications today rely on surveillance and data aggregation systems to collect information on users to tailor advertisements and social media feeds. However, this leaves millions of users worldwide vulnerable to data breaches, potentially exposing personal information to exploitative individuals.
According to a press release from Amnesty International, biometric surveillance systems such as facial recognition and fingerprint scanners, as well as spyware, are regularly used by governments and law enforcement to collect information on human rights activists and journalists. This data is often weaponized and used for abuse, such as blackmail, stalking, doxxing, intimidation, and harassment, violating numerous fundamental human rights.
“The surveillance industry must no longer be afforded a laissez-faire approach from governments with a vested interest in using this technology to commit human rights violations,” said Agnès Callamard, the Secretary-General of Amnesty International.
“Clearly, their actions pose larger questions about the wholesale lack of regulation that has created a wild west of rampant abusive targeting of activists and journalists. Until the industry as a whole can show it is capable of respecting human rights, there must be an immediate moratorium on the export, sale, transfer and use of surveillance technology.”
In 2018, law enforcement groups began using investigative genetic genealogy (IGG), a technique relying on DNA evidence and user data from genealogy databases to identify possible suspects or victims of crimes. This technique proved to be highly effective, solving over 600 cases as of 2023. According to Barbara Rae Venter, a renowned genetic genealogist, this technique streamlines the investigative process, comparing it to finding a “needle in a haystack”.
However, many users argued that this sets a detrimental precedent for the use of personal information. According to a study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the majority of genealogy services do not inform users of if their data is visible to law enforcement. Furthermore, there is always a possibility for a false positive, which has severe implications that are exacerbated by “existing biases” in the criminal justice system. For example, the police might hone in on certain individuals based on specific genetic markers, such as race or ethnic background.
Prosecutors and courts might also disproportionately target these groups based on evidence that could very well be a false positive. Furthermore, experts are uncertain on if this information will be publicly available to employers in the future, further raising risks of discrimination.
The recent emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) has also raised concerns of discrimination. According to Amnesty International, governments are currently using algorithm-based AI technologies across numerous sectors, including healthcare delivery, immigration, and employment. Much of these programs have a high propensity for algorithmic bias, as these algorithms are designed to pick up on statistical outliers. Depending on the sector, these algorithms could disproportionately harm the most vulnerable populations.
For social welfare delivery programs, there is no room for error as algorithmic bias could severely restrict human rights for the most vulnerable communities. Oftentimes, groups that are deemed to be statistical outliers- such as the disabled or ethnic minorities- are overlooked and don’t receive the assistance that they need. Additionally, these groups are at heightened risks of discrimination in the workplace, with many AI systems detecting them and automatically disregarding their applications based on typicality rather than merit.
According to UN Women, women, people of color, migrants and LGBTQIA+ individuals are at a higher risk of facing digital violence and abuse. A global study conducted by Plan International found that roughly 53 percent of women and girls have experienced some form of online harassment. Additionally, Amnesty International underscores the rise of hate speech and incitement of violence in social media content across a variety of platforms.
In order to make the digital world a safe space for people from all walks of life, it is imperative for governments to address the lack of regulations, hold the tech industry accountable, and operate with far more transparency. New technologies are constantly being developed, many of which have the ability to revolutionize human life. Proper regulations must be put in place that empower vulnerable groups and use personal data ethically and securely.
“We have a window of opportunity to make a difference,” said Türk. “We must join forces – States, technology companies, international organisations, civil society, and others – to work towards an inclusive and open digital environment for everyone, everywhere.”
IPS UN Bureau Report
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