“Today, technology is no longer the backdrop to human rights. It is the front line.”
— Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights[1]
In September, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk issued a strong warning about the growing violations of human rights in the digital sphere. His message made clear that digital human rights are no longer a minor or abstract concern, but a serious global issue officially recognized by the United Nations. We now spend most of our waking hours within digital networks. Smartphones and the internet have enriched our lives and increased efficiency, but behind this convenience lies a deepening shadow. Violence enabled by anonymity, algorithm-driven discrimination, and data monopolization represent new forms of threats that traditional human rights frameworks struggle to address. Behind the ease of a single click, there is often an invisible cost.
These invisible risksare not distant future scenarios. They are already embedded in our daily lives. The UN’s warning is not an exaggeration. Three real-world cases illustrate the urgency of digital human rights violations.
Cases of Digital Human Rights Violations
First, Loss of Data Sovereignty
In 2023, Meta (Facebook) was fined approximately 1.15 billion USD for unlawfully transferring EU citizens’ personal data to the United States.[2]
Additionally, the Cambridge Analytica scandal revealed that data collected through a psychological testing app from tens of millions of users was exploited in the presidential election and the Brexit campaign in the U.S. This case demonstrated how personal privacy was reduced to a profit-driven resource by powerful corporations.[3]
Second, Widening Inequality Through the Digital Divide.
Despite global connectivity efforts, only 57% of the world’s population uses mobile internet. Nearly 40% remain offline—not due to infrastructure alone, but because of limited digital literacy and access. Gender inequality further deepens this divide: in low-income countries, women are 19% less likely than men to use the internet, excluding roughly 310 million women from education, employment, and civic participation.[4][5]
Third, Normalization of Surveillance and Violence Through Technology
Digital surveillance refers to the collection and use of personal data to influence behavior. In 2019, France prosecuted and sentenced an individual to 18 months in prison based solely on facial recognition technology(FRT)[6]
In Russia, activists participating in protests have been identified and arrested through FRT, highlighting the risks of technological totalitarian.[7]
At the same time, cyberbullying—amplified by online anonymity and collective behavior—has spread rapidly, posing serious threats to victims’ dignity and even their right to life.
The Global Digital Compact and Its Three Core Values
Against this backdrop, the Global Digital Compact (GDC) adopted at the UN Summit of the Future holds significant meaning.
Echoing the UN resolution that “the same rights that are protected offline must be equally protected online,” the Global Digital Compact (GDC) serves to reaffirm the importance of human rights values that have lagged behind the rapid pace of technological advancement in the digital age.
This raises an important question: what concrete principles does the GDC propose? The Compact establishes a framework for digital human rights through the following three core values.
1. Connection: Equal Access to Opportunity
The GDC aims to achieve universal internet connectivity by 2030. During the COVID-19 pandemic, low-income students who could not access online classes lost their right to education. Connectivity is no longer a luxury—it is a matter of survival and a basic human right. The GDC prioritizes connecting essential institutions such as schools and hospitals
2. Respect: Rejecting the Myth of Technological Neutrality
Human rights must remain central to the development and deployment of technology. Algorithmic bias in AI hiring systems—where past data leads to discrimination based on gender or race—proves that technology is never value-neutral. The GDC calls for human rights considerations to be embedded from the design stage.
3. Protection: Safeguards Against Digital Threats
The GDC emphasizes protecting individuals—especially vulnerable groups—from digital harm. Deepfake sexual exploitation, ransomware attacks that paralyze hospitals, and mass surveillance demonstrate how digital threats directly cause physical and psychological harm. The Compact calls for concrete safeguards against digital crime and indiscriminate surveillance.
The GDC’s Golden Time
The Global Digital Compact (GDC) is moving beyond a symbolic agreement and entering a concrete implementation phase aimed at producing tangible change. The international community recognizes this immediate post-adoption period as a critical “golden time”—a decisive window that will determine whether effective digital governance can take root, calling for immediate and coordinated action. In response, coordinated systems to protect digital human rights are now being developed and structured as follows.
First, the institutionalization of AI governance. Just as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established to address the global challenge of climate change, an International AI Scientific Panel is set to be launched in the field of artificial intelligence. This body will serve as the world’s first digital governance mechanism, tasked with preventing data monopolization and ensuring that AI technologies are developed and deployed in ways that serve the collective interests of humanity.[9]
Second, the expansion of the Giga Initiative to achieve universal connectivity. With the goal of connecting every school worldwide to the internet by 2030, the United Nations is accelerating the development of digital infrastructure to address the digital divide at its roots—within educational settings—and to secure equal opportunities for future generations.[10]
The effectiveness of these efforts will be assessed through a comprehensive review at the United Nations General Assembly 2027. The journey toward protecting digital human rights has now gained momentum, and international systems and oversight mechanisms are steadily taking shape. The frameworks are in place. The question that remains is this: within this sweeping global movement, what role should we—both beneficiaries and active participants in these systems—take on?
The Role of University Students in Digital Human Rights
Achieving the five core objectives of the Global Digital Compact (GDC) requires more than the efforts of governments and corporations. It also demands meaningful changes in the behavior of users who make up the digital ecosystem. Among them, university students—who are especially familiar with digital environments—must move beyond being passive consumers and become active watchdogs and responsible agents of change.
First, students can take proactive steps to protect their own digital security. Regularly reviewing privacy consent settings and removing unnecessary app permissions—such as access to location data or cameras—can significantly curb indiscriminate data collection by corporations.
Second, cultivating the habit of verifying information sources is essential. Rather than sharing sensational content impulsively, students should cross-check sources and assess credibility. As emphasized by the GDC, preventing the spread of misinformation is a fundamental ethical responsibility of digital citizens.
Finally, students can engage through active reporting and intervention. When witnessing cyberbullying or hate speech, choosing not to remain silent but instead using reporting tools is a powerful act. Intervening when others’ rights are violated is one of the most effective ways to protect both oneself and the broader digital environment.
Technology has become the front line of human rights. And those standing on that front line are us—with smartphones in our hands. It is time to move beyond convenience and begin thinking—and acting—for our rights.