helpline:+92 21 9250630 | +92 21 9250640 | +92 21 5820716
International Commission on Human Rights
Privacy is a fundamental human right that protects our personal autonomy, dignity, and freedom. It encompasses control over personal information, freedom from arbitrary interference, and the ability to develop opinions and identities without surveillance. In the digital age, privacy is essential to the exercise of other rights including freedom of expression, association, and participation in democratic life.
However, mass surveillance, data breaches, biometric tracking, and pervasive profiling threaten privacy worldwide. Governments deploy intrusive technologies without oversight, corporations harvest personal data for profit, and vulnerable communities are disproportionately targeted. These practices erode trust, chill civic participation, and expose individuals to discrimination and harm.
The International Commission On Human Rights (ICOHR) works to uphold the right to privacy by challenging unlawful surveillance, strengthening data protection laws, and empowering individuals to control their personal information. We promote a rights-based approach to technology that places people, not profit or power, at the center of digital development.
Global indicators reveal the scale of privacy violations and the urgency of robust protections.
We confront emerging privacy threats through policy reform, advocacy, and direct support to those at risk.
We challenge indiscriminate surveillance, advocate for lawful oversight, and demand transparency and accountability from intelligence agencies and security services.
ICOHR helps craft robust data protection laws, promotes privacy by design, and ensures regulators have the independence and resources to enforce compliance.
We scrutinize facial recognition, DNA databases, and AI-driven surveillance to prevent discrimination, misuse, and rights violations.
Holding technology and data-driven companies accountable for intrusive practices, profiling, and opaque algorithms that erode consumer trust and rights.
Supporting activists, journalists, refugees, and minorities whose personal data is disproportionately targeted for repression, exclusion, or harm.
Providing privacy literacy, encryption guidance, and risk mitigation strategies so individuals can safeguard their communications and identities.
International human rights law defines the scope of privacy protections and state obligations.
Interferences with privacy must be grounded in accessible, precise laws subject to democratic oversight and effective remedies.
Restrictions are permissible only to protect legitimate aims such as national security or public health, never to silence dissent or target minorities.
Measures must be strictly necessary, proportionate, and the least invasive option available, with ongoing evaluation and sunset clauses.
States must ensure independent oversight, judicial review, and accessible remedies for individuals whose privacy has been violated.
The right to privacy is enshrined in Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Regional instruments such as the European Convention on Human Rights, the American Convention on Human Rights, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights reinforce these protections. Jurisprudence from human rights courts and guidance from bodies like the UN Human Rights Committee establish clear benchmarks for lawful surveillance, data processing, and personal autonomy. ICOHR leverages these standards to advocate for rights-respecting laws and to challenge violations before national and international mechanisms.
We deploy multi-layered strategies to uphold privacy rights and counter intrusive practices.
We advise lawmakers on privacy laws, data protection regimes, and safeguards that align with international standards and technological realities.
ICOHR brings cases before national courts and international bodies to challenge unlawful surveillance, data retention, and privacy-invasive technologies.
We document privacy abuses, publish investigative reports, and expose high-risk technologies to inform public debate and policy action.
ICOHR equips civil society, defenders, and regulators with technical knowledge on encryption, data minimization, and human rights impact assessments.
We provide rapid assistance to privacy defenders facing retaliation, including legal aid, secure communications, and relocation resources.
ICOHR collaborates with data protection authorities, digital rights groups, and international organizations to promote coherent, rights-based privacy standards worldwide.
Privacy safeguards our ability to think, speak, and live freely. Support ICOHR as we defend personal autonomy, demand accountability from governments and corporations, and ensure technological progress respects human rights.
Get Involved© 2026 International Commission On Human Rights. All rights reserved.
DONATE