Technology's repressive trajectory faces challenge from Amnesty International
In the ever-evolving digital landscape, Amnesty International has adapted its human rights mission to address the complexities of the digital age. Originally founded in 1961 to focus on prisoners of conscience and traditional human rights, the organisation has significantly expanded its scope to include digital security and online freedoms.
Over the years, Amnesty International's focus on digital rights has evolved substantially, expanding from traditional human rights concerns to actively addressing the challenges posed by digital surveillance, censorship, and privacy violations. Currently, their key digital rights concerns include unauthorized government surveillance, spyware deployment, the lack of legal safeguards for wiretapping, and the broader impact of technology on civil liberties.
One of the most notable examples of Amnesty International's digital rights advocacy is their Security Lab's analysis of a case involving Serbian authorities hacking an independent journalist's phone. The organisation detected spyware illegal in Serbia and published a report titled “A Digital Prison”, highlighting how digital tools are used to target civil society in authoritarian contexts[1].
Amnesty International is also part of broader coalitions like European Digital Rights (EDRi), a network of 50+ civil and human rights groups working together to defend safe, democratic digital environments in the EU and beyond[1]. The organisation's advocacy extends globally, tracking abuses such as spyware use in Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand), censorship in China and Iran, and mass surveillance by militaries—often calling attention to the lack of legal safeguards, transparency, and accountability in surveillance agreements and practices[4].
Innovative digital governance models are also on Amnesty's agenda. A 2025 academic proposal outlines integrating blockchain technology via a Human Rights Decentralised Autonomous Organisation (HRDAO) model to enable decentralized, transparent, and inclusive global participation for its millions of supporters[3]. This reflects emerging strategies to leverage digital tools for accountability and solidarity, exemplifying Amnesty's commitment to adapting to ongoing technological changes affecting human rights.
Amnesty International's efforts have contributed to exposing the global crisis of targeted digital surveillance and the impact of digital platforms' business models on human rights. The organisation will particularly mobilize on the impact of TikTok's business model on the mental health of young people and advocacy against the use of mass surveillance and discriminatory targeted surveillance technologies.
Despite the progress, no country has shown a real willingness to prioritize human rights in the use of technologies. The European Union has pioneering regulation of technologies, but the adopted texts are not always up to the challenges. For instance, the Digital Services Act requires large digital platforms to assess and mitigate systemic risks posed by their services. However, the AI Act does not provide adapted provisions for accountability or transparency, which could exacerbate human rights abuses.
The EU AI Act offers limited protections for affected and marginalized persons and does not prohibit the dangerous use and export of draconian AI technologies. Furthermore, the AI Act does not ensure equal protection for migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Despite these shortcomings, the EU AI Act represents a historic advance in regulating the use and development of AI systems regarding the risks they pose to our fundamental rights.
Amnesty International has a dedicated team, Amnesty Tech, to respond to emerging threats to human rights in the digital age. The organisation continues to advocate for privacy, legal reforms, and ethical use of digital technologies, reflecting its commitment to adapting its human rights mission to the complexities of the digital age[1][3][4].
[1] Amnesty International. (n.d.). Digital and Security. Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/digital-and-security/
[2] Amnesty International. (n.d.). The EU's AI Act: A step forward, but not enough. Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/04/the-eus-ai-act-a-step-forward-but-not-enough/
[3] Amnesty International. (n.d.). Blockchain for Human Rights: A Proposal for a Decentralized Autonomous Organisation (DAO). Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/pol13/4988/2025/en/
[4] Amnesty International. (n.d.). The State of the World's Human Rights 2024. Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde24/001/2024/en/
Amnesty International's focus not only encompasses technology but also includes cybersecurity, data-and-cloud-computing, and digital rights, as they strive to protect civil liberties in the digital age. The organization has published reports like "A Digital Prison" to shed light on digital surveillance, censorship, and privacy violations, and participates in coalitions like European Digital Rights (EDRi) to promote safe, democratic digital environments.
