HRC51 - NB8 statement - Report of OHCHR on the right to privacy in the digital age

Human Rights Council – 51st session

Item 3 - Interactive dialogue on the report of OHCHR on the right to privacy in the digital age

Nordic – Baltic Statement, delivered by Finland.

16 September 2022

Mr President,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic countries.

Use of digital technologies, be it by governments or private companies, should be regulated by safeguards that are up to date and comply with international human rights law. We need more collaboration with, inter alia, academia and technology experts, to help anticipate development and deployment of digital technologies that risk resulting in human rights violations and abuses, identify gaps in regulation, and create solid due diligence processes.

It is crucial to understand how human rights can be violated by the use of digital technologies. The failure to regulate the use of digital technologies in institutions that are either not aware of or not incentivized to accommodate human rights can result in substantial harm to democracy and the realization of human rights.

Lastly, we need more informed, public debate about this topic. Knowledge about the risks to the right to privacy is key.