Human Rights Council 40: UK Statement on the right to privacy
The UK thanked the Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy in the digital age for his visit to the UK in June 2018.
The Human Rights Council takes place in Geneva.
The UK thanks the Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy in the digital age for his visit to the UK in June 2018. We are committed to supporting all Special Procedures, including through a standing invitation to all Special Rapporteurs, and the UK Government and devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were committed to facilitating full access to a wide range of interlocutors in a number of institutions for Mr Cannataci’s visit.
We welcome the conclusion in his end of mission statement, that given ‘significant recent improvement in its privacy laws and mechanisms, the UK can now justifiably reclaim its leadership role in Europe as well as globally.’ This reflects our ongoing commitment to maintaining high standards of privacy and data protection. We look forward to receiving the full report and responding to its recommendations in due course.
Mr Cannataci’s initial comments also mentioned developments to the UK’s Investigatory Powers Act 2016, which provided world-leading transparency and privacy protection. The Special Rapporteur’s overarching conclusions on the system of safeguards and oversight are welcome.
We recognise the correlation between privacy and security, especially given the rise of digital communications and technologies. While this has provided many positive opportunities, we recognise concerns over privacy and data protection. The UK has a positive obligation to protect the safety and security of its citizens. However, this does not detract, in any way, from the obligation to protect human rights. States can, and should, deliver privacy and security, offline and online.
The UK would like to ask the Special Rapporteur what he sees as the biggest risks to privacy posed by emerging technology and what role states have in countering them.