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Stockholm- Skyline International has participated in a petition alongside more than 100 leading international and local human rights organizations. The petition warns governments not to use the coronavirus pandemic as a cover to get engaged in digital surveillance.


The signatories, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Access Now have called on governments using digital surveillance techniques to fight epidemics amid the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, to respect human rights guidelines including a commitment to transparency of measures taken and a specific time limit.


The organizations confirmed that the rise in non-consensual government digital surveillance powers, such as obtaining data on the presence of mobile phones, is a threat to privacy, freedom of expression, and freedom of association, in ways that may violate rights and undermine the trust in public authorities.


It stressed the need to adhere to human rights laws despite the exceptional situation in the world, where the human rights framework ensures that the balance of different rights is carefully preserved, to protect individuals and societies in general. Also, governments cannot ignore rights such as privacy, freedom of opinion and expression, and the right to assembly and organization digitally under the pretext of fighting a health crisis.

Read the full text of the petetion

Post tags: petition, digital surveillance,