The expansion of digital surveillance technologies poses significant challenges to human rights, particularly privacy and freedom of expression. Aisha Patel explores how governments and corporations worldwide are using surveillance for security, but at what cost? She discusses instances where surveillance has led to human rights abuses, from China’s social credit system to the use of spyware against journalists and activists.
Patel examines the legal frameworks meant to protect privacy, like the EU’s GDPR, and their effectiveness against state and corporate surveillance. She also looks at the technological arms race between privacy-enhancing technologies and surveillance tools. The article covers public reactions, including protests and the push for more stringent laws to safeguard rights in the digital sphere.
She concludes by advocating for a global conversation on balancing security needs with the fundamental right to privacy, suggesting that without international consensus, digital surveillance could undermine democracy.
