POL106 Wk 3: Right to Privacy

Where is the right to privacy recognized? Where is the right to freedom of opinion and expression recognized? Where is the right to privacy for a child recognized?

Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

Article 16 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

Why is the right to privacy important?

1. Privacy enables independent thoughts and actions —> citizens can criticize those in power, mobilize for political change, and hold and express unpopular opinions without fear of retaliation

2. Privacy enables free and fair elections —> voters can make autonomous decisions based on their interests and values

3. Privacy protects vulnerable and marginalized groups —> religious minorities and political opponents

How do governments and corporations treat peoples’ privacy?

Governments and corporations have adopted practices that infringe on peoples’ right to privacy

What is the importance of having the right to privacy? Which source references this?

A free and democratic society can only function if people trust that they are not being surveilled by either private or public actors without due cause and/or when they’re freely giving consent (*consent cannot be given if there’s a significant imbalance of power) (David Moscrop, 2022)

Give an example of a right to privacy protection in Canada? Which source references this?

While Bill C-27 aims to enact three privacy-related acts and amend a handful of others, it is a cause for concern due to its lack of regulation on facial recognition and location-tracking services that can unjustifiably monitor citizens (David Moscrop, 2022)

Who found out that governments and corporations spy on citizens’ information? What happened once this was found out? Which source references this?

Edward Snowden revealed mass surveillance programs in 2013 by the Five Eyes Alliance (US, UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand) which launched the right to privacy as a top agenda of the UN human rights mechanisms. Due to the increased awareness of governments’ infringement on peoples’ privacy, states adopted new laws or reformed existing ones to legalize their practice of violating the right to privacy (Carly Nyst and Tomaso Falchetta, 2017)