Submission to the OHCHR
Protecting Human Rights Defenders in the Digital Age
The Citizen Lab submitted an input on digital transnational repression to the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights’ (OHCHR) report on ‘Protecting Human Rights Defenders in the Digital Age’. The submission describes methods of digital transnational repression and impacts on victims, presenting recommendations for the UN, host countries, and technology companies.
Digital transnational repression refers to the use of digital technologies by governments to surveil, intimidate, and silence human rights defenders living in exile or the diaspora.
The authors note that bodies such as the OHCHR should identify and document acts that fall under this definition, characterize them as human rights violations, and assess the responsibility of state and private actors involved.
The submission draws on previous Citizen Lab research examining methods of repression and impacts on victims.
