Human Rights in the Digital Age

At the heart of the digital economy are practices of pervasive data collection and surveillance carried out by corporations and states. Our data-intensive world is here to stay, but does that come at the cost of our humanity in terms of autonomy, community, dignity, and equality? Even though we all co-create the data fueling the digital economy, we do not share in the value of that data and  are left out of the most pressing conversations around technology, ethics, and policy. What can be done such that individuals are more than mere “subjects” or “sources” of data “by-products” that can be harvested and used by technology companies and governments?

A panel discussion on human rights in the digital age. These issues are the subject of the new book We, the Data by Wendy H. Wong, and are also touched on in a new report from New America’s Planetary Politics Initiative titled “Governing the Digital Future.” 

Speakers:

Wendy H. Wong

Professor of Political Science and Principal’s Research Chair at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan

Michael Zelenko

Executive Editor at Rest of World

Bulelani Jili

Meta Research PhD Fellow at Harvard University

Moderator:

Gordon LaForge

Senior Policy Analyst at New America’s Planetary Politics Initiative