Human Rights Article Twelve: The Right to Privacy

Everyone has the right to privacy, family, home and correspondence — and to protection from unlawful attacks on their honor or reputation.

Privacy is about more than keeping secrets.
It is about having a protected space to live, communicate, think, organize and make personal choices without unnecessary interference.
Today, that right is being tested in new ways.

What is happening?

Our lives are increasingly connected to phones, computers, cameras, apps and digital platforms.
Everyday activities can create enormous amounts of personal information.
Where we go.
What we buy.
Who we communicate with.
What we search for.
What we believe.
What we watch.
Governments and companies can collect, store and analyze this information.
People may also experience identity theft, hacking, stalking, doxxing or the unauthorized sharing of private information.
Families can face unlawful searches or surveillance.
Journalists, activists and political opponents may have their communications monitored.
Technology has made communication easier than ever.
It has also made surveillance easier than ever.

Personal information has become extremely valuable.
Businesses can use data to understand behavior, sell advertising and influence purchasing decisions.
Governments may collect information for security, law enforcement or public administration.
Technology makes it possible to gather enormous amounts of information quickly and cheaply.
But laws and protections have not always kept pace.
People may agree to complicated privacy policies without understanding what they are allowing.
Companies may collect more information than they actually need.
Governments may expand surveillance during emergencies and keep those powers afterward.
The deeper issue is about power.

Who controls our personal information — and who gets to decide how it is used?

Almost everyone.
Anyone who uses a smartphone, social media, email, online banking, digital healthcare or connected technology creates personal data.
But some people face greater risks.
Journalists.
Human rights defenders.
Political activists.
Children and young people.
Victims of domestic violence or stalking.
Migrants and refugees.
People living under authoritarian governments.
Communities subjected to intensive surveillance.
People whose personal information has been stolen or exposed.
Loss of privacy can affect employment, relationships, safety, financial security and freedom of expression.
People behave differently when they believe someone may always be watching.

People and organizations around the world are working to strengthen privacy protections.

Digital rights organizations defend privacy, encryption and freedom of expression.
Consumer advocates push companies to be more transparent about how personal information is collected and used.
Privacy regulators investigate misuse of personal data and enforce protections.
Cybersecurity professionals develop safer ways to store and transmit information.
Journalists and researchers expose surveillance practices and data abuses.
Technology developers are creating privacy-focused tools that collect less data and give people more control.
And governments in many places are strengthening laws that give people greater rights over their personal information.

Know what you are sharing. Pay attention to what information apps, websites and services collect.
Use strong security. Protect accounts with strong passwords, multi-factor authentication and updated software.
Limit unnecessary data collection. Companies and governments should collect only what they genuinely need.
Protect private communication. Strong encryption can help keep personal conversations secure.
Demand transparency. People should know what information is being collected, why it is collected and who receives it.
Protect children. Young people deserve especially strong safeguards around their personal information.
Support strong privacy laws. People should have meaningful rights to access, correct and protect their data.
Design technology differently. Privacy should be built into systems from the beginning rather than added after problems occur.

Instead of asking:

“What information can we collect?”

Ask:

“What information do we actually need — and how do we protect the person it belongs to?”

Article Twelve reminds us that privacy is not about hiding from society.
It is about maintaining control over our own lives.
A healthy society needs both openness and boundaries.
Technology should serve people without turning every human activity into information to be collected, analyzed and sold.
Our homes matter.
Our conversations matter.
Our personal information matters.
And the right to decide what remains private should not disappear simply because technology makes surveillance possible.

Privacy is a human right.