Reinventing Human Rights Protection in the Digital Age: Legal Challenges and Regulatory Innovations
Keywords:
Digital Human Rights, Legal Innovation, Regulatory Framework, Algorithmic Accountability., Data ProtectionAbstract
Purpose – This article seeks to critically examine the development of human rights protection in the digital era, emphasizing the challenges and innovations in legal perspectives and regulatory frameworks. The research addresses how existing laws respond to evolving threats to individual rights in digital spaces and highlights the necessity for updated regulatory paradigms in a fast-changing technological landscape.
Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative research design is utilized, combining doctrinal legal analysis with a comparative study of national and international regulatory frameworks. The study draws upon interdisciplinary literature, court cases, and primary legal documents to evaluate key issues such as privacy, data protection, and freedom of expression online.
Findings – Analysis reveals that while international principles of human rights remain relevant, practical implementation faces obstacles such as jurisdictional conflicts, uneven enforcement, and rapid technological advance. The research identifies innovative regulatory measures—including new digital rights charters and algorithmic accountability standards—that offer promising approaches but require substantial harmonization at the international level.
Research limitations/implications – The study is limited by its reliance on secondary data and select case law, which may not capture all region-specific challenges in digital rights enforcement. Despite this, the findings underscore the importance of ongoing legal adaptation and international cooperation.
Originality/value – This work contributes original insight by bridging doctrinal legal critique with real-world policy analysis, offering actionable recommendations for lawmakers, scholars, and practitioners engaged in the protection of human rights in rapidly digitizing societies. It provides a forward-looking assessment of legal and policy needs in the age of digital transformation.
