Technology has dramatically transformed the world we live in. It is increasingly difficult to remember human existence before digital technologies and digital information permeated almost every aspect of life. Digitalization has radically changed government, business, science, as well as many other aspects of human interaction. But we are also far removed from the early days of the internet and personal computer boom and that period’s optimism about our digital future; a time when Nicholas Negroponte wrote in Being Digital that “[l]ike a force of nature, the digital age cannot be denied or stopped.” Today’s digital reality is mixed, and we are not only aware of the promises of new technologies, but also of the ability of these technologies to cause harm and undermine our human rights. Technology-driven automation may lead to displacement of human workers, governments may use an immense data stream to spy on us and control our behavior, and social media can be a marketplace for hate. How do we ensure that technology and data are used to fulfill our rights, like our human rights to health, to education, and to social security, rather than to violate those rights? As governments incorporate digital technologies, how do we ensure that no one is excluded? These are some of the key questions that guide the Center’s work on digital technologies and human rights.

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