New York, NY – Today, the United Nations Human Rights Council took a big step toward improving international privacy rights by establishing the new position of Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy. The initiative was spearheaded by Germany and Brazil. Key players in the surveillance debate, including the United States and the United Kingdom, joined consensus. Special Rapporteurs are independent experts who help focus the international community’s attention on key human rights issues.
“This is a solid win for privacy and human rights advocates around the globe,” said Faiza Patel, co-director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice. “The broad support for this initiative is heartening. As technology is upending settled understandings of privacy, the Special Rapporteur will help governments, civil rights groups, and other stakeholders develop a concrete vision for how to protect our personal information and correspondence in the 21st century.”
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