Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, jointly with the Council of Europe

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, jointly with the Council of Europe

The right to privacy in the digital age

New technologies are vulnerable to electronic surveillance and interception, which in the words of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has become “a dangerous habit rather than an exceptional measure”. In December 2013, the UN General Assembly adopted res 68/167, which expressed deep concern at the negative impact of surveillance and interception of communications on human rights. In December 2014, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights raised concerns on inter alia the monitoring of individuals and groups with emphasis on intelligence and prevention. In March 2015, following a new UN General Assembly resolution (69/166) , the Human Rights Council created a Special rapporteur on the right to privacy. In April 2015, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe stated it was “deeply worried” about the mass surveillance practices by certain intelligence agencies .

-UN Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy (TBC).
-PACE Rapporteur on Mass Surveillance (TBC).
-Chair of the Consultative Committee of the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to the Automatic Processing of Personal Data [ETS No. 108] (TBC).
-Reps of national security services, law enforcement, data protection authorities, business, civil society.