United Nations human rights committee resolves to protect privacy

The text notes metadata can give an insight into personal behaviour. Photograph: Jon Feingersh/Jon Feingersh/Blend Images/Corbis

A landmark resolution demanding privacy protection in the digital age and urging governments to offer redress to citizens targeted by mass surveillance has been approved by the UN general assemblys human rights committee.

The resolution, which was adopted in the face of attempts by the US and others to water it down and which comes at a time when the UK government is calling for increased surveillance powers, had been put forward by Brazil and Germany in the wake of revelations by US intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden about large-scale US surveillance.

However, diplomats reported that a reference to surveillance using metadata information generated through the use of technology as an intrusive act was removed in order to appease the US and its British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand allies in the so-called Five Eyes surveillance alliance.

Nevertheless, the text does still contain a precedent-setting mention of metadata, warning that certain types of metadata, when aggregated, can reveal personal information and give an insight into an individuals behaviour, social relationships, private preferences and identity.

It also emphasises the role of the private sector in digital surveillance, saying, business enterprises have a responsibility to respect human rights.

While not naming any in particular, it calls on states to review their procedures, practices and legislation regarding the surveillance of communications, their interception and the collection of personal data, including mass surveillance, with a view to upholding the right to privacy under international human rights law.

Although are non-binding, such resolutions carry significant moral and political weight if they are supported by enough states.

The resolution was approved by the 193-member committee as a follow-up to a similar text adopted last year after Snowden, a former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, exposed a major spying programme by the agency.

Germanys ambassador meanwhile called for the UN to create a special investigator post on the issue, warning that without necessary checks, we risk turning into Orwellian states where every step by every citizen is monitored.

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United Nations human rights committee resolves to protect privacy