The United Nations now considers online privacy as an International Right

One of the premiere global topics of today is electronic privacy. This a one of the core principals of Netiquette. There has been what many believe to be significant abuse  by domestic organizations not only in the United States, but many other countries. Just as with Netiquette, rules and principals have not been adopted to or on an organized global scale. It seems that with the United Nations is moving in a very positive direction as witnessed in the document below. Online privacy is now considered an International Right! Netiquette IQ salutes this.

In the long run, it is critical for the global community to join in creating principals and accords to guaranty the integrity of responsible global communications.

United Nations A/C.3/68/L.45/Rev.1

General Assembly

Distr.: Limited

20 November 2013

Original: English

13-57677 (E) 221113

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Sixty-eighth session

Third Committee

Agenda item 69 (b)

Promotion and protection of human rights: human rights

questions, including alternative approaches for improving

the effective enjoyment of human rights and

fundamental freedoms

Argentina, Austria, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Brazil, Chile, Cuba,

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Ecuador, France, Germany, Guatemala,

Indonesia, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru,

Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Timor-Leste and Uruguay: revised draft resolution

The right to privacy in the digital age

The General Assembly,

Reaffirming the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,

Reaffirming also the human rights and fundamental freedoms enshrined in the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights and relevant international human rights

treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,

Reaffirming further the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action,

Noting that the rapid pace of technological development enables individuals all

over the world to use new information and communication technologies and at the

same time enhances the capacity of Governments, companies and individuals to

undertake surveillance, interception and data collection, which may violate or abuse

human rights, in particular the right to privacy, as set out in article 12 of the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 17 of the International Covenant

on Civil and Political Rights, and is therefore an issue of increasing concern,

Reaffirming the human right to privacy, according to which no one shall be

subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy, family, home

or correspondence, and the right to the protection of the law against such

interferences, and recognizing that the exercise of the right to privacy is important

for the realization of the right to freedom of expression and to hold opinions without

interference, and one of the foundations of a democratic society,

A/C.3/68/L.45/Rev.1

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Stressing the importance of the full respect for the freedom to seek, receive

and impart information, including the fundamental importance of access to

information and democratic participation,

Welcoming the report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and

protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression,1 submitted to the

Human Rights Council at its twenty-third session, on the implications of States’

surveillance of communications on the exercise of the human rights to privacy and

to freedom of opinion and expression,

Emphasizing that unlawful or arbitrary surveillance and/or interception of

communications, as well as unlawful or arbitrary collection of personal data, as

highly intrusive acts, violate the rights to privacy and freedom of expression and

may contradict the tenets of a democratic society,

Noting that while concerns about public security may justify the gathering and

protection of certain sensitive information, States must ensure full compliance with

their obligations under international human rights law,

Deeply concerned at the negative impact that surveillance and/or interception

of communications, including extraterritorial surveillance and/or interception of

communications, as well as the collection of personal data, in particular when

carried out on a mass scale, may have on the exercise and enjoyment of human

rights,

Reaffirming that States must ensure that any measures taken to combat

terrorism are in compliance with their obligations under international law, in

particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law,

1. Reaffirms the right to privacy, according to which no one shall be

subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy, family, home

or correspondence, and the right to the protection of the law against such

interference, as set out in article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

and article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

2. Recognizes the global and open nature of the Internet and the rapid

advancement in information and communication technologies as a driving force in

accelerating progress towards development in its various forms;

3. Affirms that the same rights that people have offline must also be

protected online, including the right to privacy;

4. Calls upon all States:

(a) To respect and protect the right to privacy, including in the context of

digital communication;

(b) To take measures to put an end to violations of those rights and to create

the conditions to prevent such violations, including by ensuring that relevant

national legislation complies with their obligations under international human rights

law;

(c) To review their procedures, practices and legislation regarding the

surveillance of communications, their interception and collection of personal data,

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1 A/HRC/23/40 and Corr.1.

A/C.3/68/L.45/Rev.1

13-57677 3/3

including mass surveillance, interception and collection, with a view to upholding

the right to privacy by ensuring the full and effective implementation of all their

obligations under international human rights law;

(d) To establish or maintain existing independent, effective domestic

oversight mechanisms capable of ensuring transparency, as appropriate, and

accountability for State surveillance of communications, their interception and

collection of personal data;

5. Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to

present a report on the protection and promotion of the right to privacy in the

context of domestic and extraterritorial surveillance and/or interception of digital

communications and collection of personal data, including on a mass scale, to the

Human Rights Council at its twenty-seventh session and to the General Assembly at

its sixty-ninth session, with views and recommendations, to be considered by

Member States;

6. Decides to examine the question at its sixty-ninth session, under the

sub-item entitled “Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for

improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms” of

the item entitled “Promotion and protection of human rights”.

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As a recent author of Netiquette IQ – A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email, please consider me as a contributor to your publication. I maintain an active and popular blog for email Netiquette, a radio show on BlogtalkRadio  and an online newsletter via paper.li.

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