HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE AGE OF TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION: A CRITICAL EXAMINATION

Abstract

Nearly every aspect of human life has been altered by the rapidly advancing tide of technological change, which has both created previously unheard-of opportunities and presented significant obstacles to the defence, advancement, and realisation of human rights. This paper conducted a critical analysis of the changing relationship between technology and human rights, examining the ways in which new digital systems, from data analytics and artificial intelligence to social media platforms, automated decision-making tools, and surveillance technologies, interact with long-standing human rights principles. Using a doctrinal and analytical approach, the paper places current technological advancements in the context of international legal norms, human rights frameworks, and developing jurisprudence. The study revealed that technology has impacted human rights practice and activities in modern times. While technology has improved access to information, increased the number of places where people can express themselves, strengthened accountability systems, and encouraged socioeconomic inclusion, it has also raised complicated issues about algorithmic bias, digital exclusion, misinformation, mass data collection, privacy violations, and corporate and governmental overreach, which research must properly consider to chart a way forward.