Ana Brian Nougrères, special rapporteur on the right to privacy, has presented a report before the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council in which she warns about the challenges posed by the international collection of personal data through the internet.
Concern about the lack of international regulation
The document highlights that the international collection of personal data is not defined as a legal phenomenon in the main international documents and lacks a comprehensive and binding framework that guarantees the protection of privacy. The absence of specific regulation is identified as one of the main current challenges in terms of digital privacy.
Risks for the privacy of users
"People can be the object of violations of their personal data" - Ana Brian Nougrères, special rapporteur on the right to privacy
Nougrères has explained that billions of people with internet access can collect data from anywhere in the world about individuals located in other countries. This situation exposes citizens to risks that, according to the rapporteur, are not sufficiently covered by current regulations.
Call to a global response and recommendations for States
The rapporteur has urged States to create a global treaty that regulates the international collection of personal data and protects individual rights. In addition, she has recommended that countries expand their national data protection laws to include extraterritorial application, which would allow for greater coverage against possible violations.
The report presented complements the work carried out by Nougrères in 2024 before the United Nations General Assembly, where he proposed updating resolution 45/95 on the guiding principles for the regulation of computerized personal data files. The proposal seeks to adapt data protection to the new technological and social challenges.