Human Rights in Digital Space. Resisting Autocratization in Polarised Societies

Without much exaggeration, it can be said that nowadays, one of the basic needs of humanity is to be able to satisfy a number of essential human needs through Internet connections, such as ensuring interpersonal contacts, participating in public and political life, being able to express one's opinions and speech freely, satisfying the need to seek knowledge, being able to do business. Moreover, in the 21st century, it is even possible to formulate individual claims against states to provide such opportunities as one of the fundamental digital human rights. Modern digital technologies can promote, defend and enforce human rights, both civil and political rights, as well as cultural, economic and social rights. They provide opportunities on an unprecedented scale for access to information and the ability for anyone to share it virtually anywhere on Earth. A new public sphere is thus being created. However, these technologies can suppress, restrict, and violate human rights, such as through surveillance, censorship, online harassment, biased algorithms, and automated decision-making systems. Their use can lead to the marginalisation of specific individuals and groups, leading to online and offline inequality and discrimination. Paradoxically, they can lead to the democratisation and polarisation of societies.
Human rights in the digital age remain rooted in established international principles, but how individuals exercise these rights is constantly shaped by technological change. The challenge is to ensure that digital governance frameworks evolve with innovation, putting human dignity, justice and freedom at the forefront. While technologies are always neutral, their use can be an opportunity or a threat to humanity. The panel will attempt to diagnose the opportunities and threats to human rights from the development of digital technologies and identify measures to counter these threats.