International Telecom

摘要

The U.N. should make clear that “indiscriminate surveillance is never consistent with the right to privacy”rnby adopting a resolution on digital privacy floated by Brazil and Germany, five major rights groupsrnsaid Friday. Privacy International, Access, Amnesty International, Electronic Frontier Foundation and HumanrnRights Watch told U.N. General Assembly members in a Wednesday letter (http://xrl.us/bp6y79) thatrnadopting the resolution (http://xrl.us/bp6y8f) would “crucially reiterate the importance of protecting privacyrnand free expression in the face of technological advancements and encroaching State power.” The draftrnresolution reaffirms the right to privacy while recognizing the Internet's global and open nature and its placernin driving development. It affirms that people should have the same privacy rights online as offline. It urgesrngovernments to: (1) Respect and protect privacy rights, including in digital communications. (2) End violationsrnof those rights. (3) Review their procedures, practices and laws on communications surveillance, interceptionrnand collection of personal data, including mass spying, with a view to upholding the right to privacy.rn(4) Set up or maintain independent, effective oversight mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountabilityrnfor government surveillance and interception. The draft also asks the U.N. High Commissioner for HumanrnRights to report on the protection and promotion of privacy rights in the context of domestic and foreignrnsurveillance and/or interception. If approved, the resolution would be the first U.N. statement on privacyrnin 25 years, Privacy International said. The organizations said they are “deeply concerned” that therncountries in the “Five Eyes” alliance — the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia and U.K. — are trying tornweaken the resolution.