International Human Rights Day: Adapting to the Shifting Digital World

International Human Rights Day is commemorated on December 10 every year to mark a reverence for the day the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Human rights-a set of principles-should bolster communities, individuals and people for a better future. The principles are concerned with the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to, including but not limited to freedom of speech, the right to life, the right to education, the right to health, freedom from torture, the right to free trial, freedom of religion and no discrimination based on sex, color, race, language or origin.

This year, 2024, the theme “Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now” emphasizes the critical role human rights have to play as a preventive, transformative and protective force for a better tomorrow. The UN Human Rights is bullish on inspiring everyone to recognize the relevance and significance of human rights and counter disinformation, correct misinformation and mobilize actions to urge a global movement for human rights.

Of late, the human rights data revolution has become the talking point against the backdrop of the soaring consumption of data, ceaseless internet footfall and surging smartphone penetration. Digital rights are closely associated with human rights, allowing individuals to create, access, use and publish digital content. Additionally, digital technologies are increasingly being integrated into human rights monitoring. Meanwhile, 2023 and 2024 have been marked by online harassment, censorship, surveillance and algorithm bias. As such, digital rights management and data protection stand at a pivotal juncture in upholding human rights.

Navigating Digital Rights Management

An uptick in digital assets and rampant copyright infringement has created a need for more strategic initiatives toward data management, such as Digital Rights Management (DRM), which protects the copyright holder’s rights and prevents unauthorized changes and distribution of content. Companies have the moral responsibility to avert infringement of human rights and address impacts if they occur. DRM is sought-after across industries to maintain confidential content, sensitive data and intellectual property.

In July 2024, the European Union was reported to be contemplating charges against Meta for a Digital Markets Act (DMA) breach. The move comes on the back of a similar case against the tech behemoth Apple in June. The DMA requires tech companies to acquire user consent when cross-using or combining personal data across various services. These trends underscore the need for the digital rights management market growth. The demand for DRM also comes on the heels of pervasive online piracy and peer-to-peer file exchanges.

Why Seek DRM in Media and Entertainment?

Stakeholders across healthcare, media and entertainment, education, software and gaming have vouched for Digital rights management. For instance, media and entertainment giants use DRM to protect digital content, including TV shows, movies, web series, music and e-books. DRM solutions help media companies maintain copyright compliance and safeguard revenue streams. However, pervasive copyright infringement has challenged digital rights management in media & entertainment market. To illustrate, in December 2024, Canadian news media behemoths, including The Canadian Press, CBC/Radio-Canada, The Globe and Mail, Metroland Media, the Toronto Star and Postmedia, reportedly sued OpenAI for an alleged copyright infringement, claiming the tech giant is illegally using news articles to train its ChatGPT software.

In the midst of chaos, businesses and organizations are poised to seek AI tools to monitor the usage of digital content, ensure compliance and detect unauthorized use. Specifically, AI algorithms can scan digital content across various platforms to detect copyright material. AI technologies, including predictive analytics, natural language processing and automated content recognition, can complement digital rights management and protect digital assets.

Data Protection and Recovery Solutions-the need of the hour

In an overwhelmingly interconnected world, data protection and recovery become indispensable amidst rampant cyberattacks and data breaches disrupting business. According to an IBM report, the global average cost of a data breach in 2024 stood at USD 4.88 million. Robust government policies and investments in cloud and software solutions can protect sensitive information, factors that have underpinned the data protection and recovery solutions market. Some solutions that can be adopted are delineated below:

• Data protection on demand;

• Data encryption;

• Hardware security module;

• Network encryption;

• Data discovery.

Data protection solutions can also help organizations adhere to regulations, including the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). In November 2024, Vietnam National Assembly reportedly ratified the law on personal data protection (PDP); its implementation is set for July 1, 2025.

The PDP law will form a strong framework and regulations for the secure management, utilization and processing of personal data. Meanwhile, in December 2024, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) gave a nod to the EU Data Protection Seal; it made rules for data sharing with non-European countries’ authorities more comprehensible.

With soaring data volume and advanced security attacks, data protection as a service market stands in a pivotal position to bolster scalability, enhance reliability and reduce complexity. The managed service involves encryption, anomaly detection and other measures and helps companies restore operations robustly and quickly in the face of a security breach.

Roadmap

At a time when data has touched almost every aspect of human lives, International Human Rights Day is a compass for peace, freedom, equality and justice. Businesses also have the responsibility to respect and adhere to international human rights. By protecting human rights, people can protect the future; meanwhile, advanced technologies can complement human rights efforts through accessibility, improved healthcare outcomes and sustainable development goals (SDGs). Indeed, human rights are the path to a common future, a future full of promise and real improvements.