Surveillance and human rights. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression

The present report is about the promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development.

There are many types of surveillance that can be used by both the State and the companies.

The safeguarding strategies must be both domestic and international, always respecting human rights.

The Recommendations for States are to impose an immediate moratorium on the export, sale, transfer, use or servicing of privately developed surveillance tools until a human rights-compliant safeguards regime is in place; to respect human rights; to establish mechanisms that ensure public or community approval, oversight and control of the purchase of surveillance technologies.

While the recommendations for companies are to affirm their responsibility to respect freedom of expression, privacy and related human rights, and integrate human rights due diligence processes from the earliest stages of product development and throughout their operations. These processes should establish human rights by design, regular consultations with civil society; to guarantee the human rights safeguard.