Session
Data Privacy Brasil Research Association
Rafael Zanatta Data Privacy Brasil Research Association Civil Society Latin America
Bruna Santos Data Privacy Brasil Research Association Civil Society Latin America
Helena Secaf Data Privacy Brasil Research Association Civil Society Latin America
Jaqueline Trevisan Pigatto Data Privacy Brasil Research Association Civil Society Latin America
No pre-defined speakers, the idea of the session is to facilitate the exchange of perspectives among Civil society organizations and activists about the risks of state surveillance and the rise of technoauthoritarianism.
Bruna Santos
Helena Secaf
Gathering.
We plan to engage with actors from the global south, as well as privacy advocates on a discussion that pertains both to debates regarding the protection of democratic systems and the development of safeguards and limits to data processing activities and citizens empowerment. By promoting a collective understanding of the most common examples of tech-enabled human rights abuses performed by governments, the idea is to also strategize against such practices and conceptualize a new agenda for Privacy in the digital age focused on these new technologies.
Adding to that, once the session is concluded, the facilitating organization, Data Privacy Brasil, intends to share with all participants a Techno-Authoritarianism Map, containing the common practices and human rights violations, as well as possible paths for collaboration between the attendees.
English
Over the past few years, governments and authoritarian actors all over the world are increasing their reliance on personal and sensitive information under the banner of improving public policies and services. The result is a widespread use of biometric data (including for mandatory identity cards), facial recognition in combination with the monitoring of public spaces, centralized databases of citizens personal data, among others technologies and practices.
Technologies and practices that can pave the way for tech-enabled human rights abuses, one of the main outcomes of a process called tech-authoritarianism. And they also raise concerns about the disproportionate collection and processing of personal data by governments that are not compliant with data protection and privacy frameworks.
The result of which may be health indicators being used to identify and capture groups that deviate from gender or political norms, e.g. LGBTQI people, and the use of other kinds of data to apply some measurement of political censorship or doxxing practices directed at anti-fascist groups. We believe that it's most important for practices of data processing to reinforce human rights-respecting bases regarding personal data as well as pertinent data protection principles, such as data minimisation, purpose limitation, data security, data accuracy, and data relevance.
Our session will, therefore, discuss the practices that characterize techno-authoritarianism, the downsides to the disproportional use of data by governments and in which ways it affects our Democracies. Additionally, we are interested in understanding what are the particular effects of violations and abuses of the right to privacy caused by this event.
In order to enable a fair and open discussion around the protection of democratic systems and the development of safeguards and limits to data processing activities and citizens empowerment, the session will start with the exhibition of a thought-provoking short documentary entitled - What is Techno-authoritarism ? - with the main goal of getting the conversation and exchange of perspectives started. After that, the proposed session will discuss the practices that characterize techno-authoritarianism, followed by an open discussion with the session attendees in order to allow everyone to bring their views and experience in fighting state surveillance in times of crisis.
Report
Authoritarianism practices related to information technologies are occurring within democracies in varying forms. Subtle forms are related to centralization of databases and projects of interoperability of data that might open room for abusive secondary uses. Aggressive forms are related to Internet shutdowns, imposition of rules regarding use of Internet application services and use of spyware to constantly monitor and target threats.
Citizens are not aware of the assymetry of power that exists between them and the State. Without a clear comprehension of their rights related to data, States and companies can advance their projects of abusive uses of personal data in a instrumental way.
Brazil, Nigeria, Kenya and Mexico have clear examples of techno authoritarian approaches. It is necessary to advance comparative analysis and research about violation of fundamental rights in the use of new technologies by the State.
The expansion of digital rights are part of the solution, but must be complemented by a more robust agenda of the international community about the erosion of democratic principles by the interplay between authoritarian practices and affordances generated by new data-driven technologies.
The panel analyzed the issue of the rise of authoritarian practices in democratic countries through the use of information technologies. In continuation of another panel held at RightsCon, the roundtable addressed the relationship between authoritarian uses of technology and government practices from a Global South perspective.
In addition to Rafael Zanatta, director of the Data Privacy Brasil Research Association, Khadijah El-Usman, a feminist activist from Nigeria, and Tevin Mwenda from KICTANet, in Nairobi, Kenya, participated. The main points raised together in the panel were:
- Authoritarianism practices related to information technologies are occurring within democracies in varying forms. Subtle forms are related to centralization of databases and projects of interoperability of data that might open room for abusive secondary uses. Aggressive forms are related to Internet shutdowns, imposition of rules regarding use of Internet application services and use of spyware to constantly monitor and target threats.
- Citizens are not aware of the asymmetry of power that exists between them and the State. Without a clear comprehension of their rights related to data, States and companies can advance their projects of abusive uses of personal data in an instrumental way.
From the points raised, the panelists debated the need to face the problem, advancing in the analyzes and researches on the violation of fundamental rights in the use of new technologies by the State. The expansion of digital rights is part of the solution, but it must be complemented by a stronger agenda from the international community on the erosion of democratic principles through the interaction between authoritarian practices and resources generated by new data-based technologies. According to the speakers, countries like Brazil, Nigeria, Kenya and Mexico have clear examples of techno-authoritarian approaches.