Privacy International’s submission to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the protection of human rights defenders in the digital age
Privacy International provided a submission to inform the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 58/23 on “Human rights defenders and new and emerging technologies: protecting human rights defenders, including women human rights defenders, in the digital age”.
Advocacy
Post date
15th May 2026
Our submission identifies some key trends, with examples, responding to some of the questions posed in the call for submission. Including:
- Digital communications:
- SOCMINT
- Technology-facilitated attacks on social media platforms and digital communications
- Specific risks faced by women human rights defenders (HRDs) and HRDs from groups affected by marginalisation and discrimination on online platforms and communications services
- Digital restrictions to privacy:
- IMSI catchers
- Spyware
- Mobile phone extraction
- The expansion of biometric surveillance infrastructure
- Increased monitoring of public and digital spaces technological and regulatory developments relating to encryption
- Recommendations