UN resolution on the right to privacy, a first step – UN expert on freedom of expression

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Frank La Rue, welcomed the adoption of a resolution on the protection of the right to privacy in the digital age by the UN General Assembly, but stressed that this is a first step. “Much more can and must be done to ensure trust in the safety of communications around the world,” he said.
 
The resolution recognizes the need for States to revise their own laws and practices regarding the surveillance of communications and to establish oversight mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountability for surveillance initiatives, as Mr. La Rue recommended in his latest report* to the UN Human Rights Council.