Editorial of special focus ‘The impact of new technologies on human rights’ (2019) 3 Global Campus Human
Rights Journal ix-xi
https://doi.org/20.500.11825/1583
Editorial of special focus: The impact of new 
technologies on human rights
Diego Lopez* and Veronica Gomez**
The profusion of new technologies and of information and
communication technologies in many aspects of individual and collective
life is one of the defining features of our times. The advancement of new
technologies in the twenty-first century – also known as the fourth
industrial revolution – along with the expansion of the internet, social
media and artificial intelligence has a direct impact on the way in which
the public and private sectors and individuals interact. These new and
transformational environments present opportunities and challenges when
their practices are analysed in terms of rights.  
The nature and speed of these developments have raised important
questions. Among these is the impact of new technologies on the
traditional notions of sovereignty and the new challenge of digital
sovereignty; their impact on the dynamics of democracy and government;
the challenges regarding human rights protection systems with respect to
non-state actors in the realm of new technologies; the transformation of
labour forces, social production relations and markets (commercial,
financial, and so forth); access to education and to information in terms of
use, benefit, profit and development; and the impact on the social fabric in
terms of communicational dynamics, consumer behaviour, practices and
identities (ethnicity, nationality, gender, class, religion, ideology).
During its 2019 Global Classroom,1 the Global Campus of Human
Rights regional programmes assessed the impact of new technologies on
human rights and democracy by mapping and analysing regional and
global trends. The conceptualisation of these challenges meant moving
* Diego Lopez, Political Science UBA, Academic Coordinator Global Campus Latin
America.
** Veronica Gomez, Law UBA, LLM Nottingham, Director for Education Global Campus
Latin America.
1 The 2019 Global Classroom involved several months of research at the seven Global
Campus regional headquarters located at Global Campus Europe, South East Europe,
Africa, Asia-Pacific, Caucasus, Latin America and Arab World, with the participation of
post-graduate students from their respective Master’s in Human Rights and Democracy.
The process culminated in a face-to-face international conference in Buenos Aires,
hosted by the Centre of International Studies of the University of San Martin (CIEP-
UNSAM), headquarters of Global Campus Latin America. The event, held at the
Legislative Palace of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, was attended by experts
and representatives from governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental
agencies and organisations, including the Regional Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights, UNESCO, ILO, and the Delegation of the EU in
Buenos Aires and the UN Rapporteur on the Right to Privacy. 
EDITORIAL                                                                                                                                                       x
away from traditional, state-centric conceptions; understanding new
trends that permeate human existence in terms of the interface between
technology, development and human rights; and promoting a new
integrated approach to advancing development within and across nations. 
The research outcomes have been summarised in the articles presented
in this edition of the Global Campus Human Rights Journal. Each article
provides a regional perspective on a particular issue and they are guided by
research questions, including the identification of long-term structural
challenges and at the national and regional level; the identification of
actors and of conditions for the emergence of new risks to the enjoyment
of rights; and the analysis of viable responses. The articles intend to
understand the nexus between individual and collective rights, human
development and new technologies and to analyse responses/initiatives/
activities that can or should be supported when responding to the
identified challenges and risks.
The contribution from Global Campus Africa (HRDA) analyses state-
sponsored internet shutdowns in Zimbabwe, Sudan, Cameroon, Chad and
the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in earlier 2019 coinciding
with major political events, including mass protests and elections. In light
of these incidents, the article addresses the role of information and
communication technologies in human development and probes the
intersections of the right to development and internet shutdowns in Africa.
After analysing the invocation of judicial remedies in some jurisdictions
and the role of the private section in light of corporate responsibility, the
article proposes a multi-stakeholder approach to face these challenges.
The contribution from Global Campus Europe reviews technological
developments such as thermal imaging, biometric data, virtual reality,
artificial intelligence, and drones and their deployment at the service of
action at the external border of the European Union (EU) in light of the
regulatory framework on data privacy in the EU and the General Data
Protection Regulation (GDPR). The article explores how vulnerable
groups are to be affected by the collection of biometrics, how algorithms
are repositories reflecting the manufacturer’s bias, and proposes a diverse
workforce as a tool to face the proliferation of bias.  
The contribution from Global Campus South East Europe addresses the
issue of online assemblies in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and
Turkey. After exploring applicable domestic and international law, the
article assesses the role of the state in providing and facilitating access to
the internet and enabling online assemblies. The article analyses the
surveillance of digital activities and security and its relation to online and
offline assemblies.
The contribution from Global Campus Arab World analyses digital
surveillance companies based in democratic countries and the use of their
services by oppressive regimes, from monitoring centres facilitating mass
surveillance on all telecommunications, to firewalls that filter the contents
that users are allowed to access, and spyware that tap into the information
stored in any personal device connected to the internet. The article
assesses the volume of trade in these repression tools and the market value
of surveillance companies operating in states that portrayed themselves as
democracies.
xi                                                                                                 (2020) 4 Global Campus Human Rights Journal
The contribution from Global Campus Latin America presents a
number of case studies on challenges and opportunities connected with
information and communication technologies and their impact on social
movements, litigation, politics and the enjoyment of individual rights. It
also refers to the attempts to promote the legal regulation of the digital
sphere in Colombia, Argentina and Ecuador. The analysis highlights the
gap between citizens with access to technology and connectivity and those
left behind.
The contribution of Global Campus Asia-Pacific focuses on digital
authoritarianism as a state practice involving the invasion of privacy, the
denial of access to information while promoting the spreading of
misinformation, and the limitation of expression and participation. The
article presents a number of case studies on arbitrary surveillance; secrecy
and disinformation; fake news and misinformation, hate speech, racism
and discrimination; troll armies on controlling freedom of expression and
shaping public opinion; communication shutdowns; blocking and content
removal by government cyber-control centres – all these leading to
violations of freedom of expression – and other serious violations
involving arrests, detention, gagging and killings or assassinations.
The contribution from Global Campus Caucasus aims at identifying
long-term structural challenges to human rights in Armenia, Belarus and
the Kyrgyz Republic with a focus on cyber security, freedom of expression,
freedom of speech, access to information and data protection policies. On
the one hand, the study reveals that the development of new technologies
increased the accessibility of people to information in terms of e-
governance programmes. Moreover, it shows that political mobilisation
and participation, and freedom of expression have been enhanced due to
social media developments. On the other hand, it identifies the growing
challenges in terms of hate speech online, media manipulation, the
spreading of disinformation, data leakage and cyber security. The piece
presents a number of recommendations to stakeholders with the
modernisation of legal framework as a basis, followed by unified
regulations, the protection of personal data, guaranteed security in the
digital environment, e-education, and culminating in the legitimate
monitoring of human rights violations.
The above contributions and the general conversation leave us with the
challenge of drawing equations to balance the impact of new technologies
in the exercise of rights, among these the prohibition of discrimination,
social rights and the access to public services, privacy and data protection,
fair trial and due process, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly
and association.  
Editors