As algorithms, sensors, and data systems quickly reshape our daily life, the question of who they serve, and who they might harm, has become impossible to ignore. It is a question that made this year's theme, Safeguarding Human Rights in the Technological Age, all the more timely. On 10 and 11 June, Erasmus School of Law welcomed legal scholars from across the country for the Annual Conference of the Netherlands Network for Human Rights Research (NNHRR), better known as the Toogdag, to dive deep into the possibilities and implications of technology for human rights.
he link between technology and human rights cuts both ways. On one hand, advancements in technology have the potential to enhance the protection of human rights. Biometric systems can make essential services easier and safer to access, networks of sensors can track environmental change in real time, and data analysis can expose patterns of discrimination that might otherwise stay hidden. Yet the same tools carry risks. Surveillance technology can creep into private life, giving authoritarian regimes new means to monitor and silence critics, while social media can let hate speech and misinformation spread at a scale and speed that has never been experienced before.
Deep dive into the implications of technology on human rights
The conference opened with a keynote from Daniel Pap of the Council of Europe's Committee on Artificial Intelligence, setting the tone for two days of discussion by addressing the broader implications of technology on human rights. A series of parallel sessions then dug into how these tensions play out across different fields, from migration and climate policy to business practice and economic, social, and cultural rights, as well as more specifically Dutch areas of law such as administrative and criminal law. The event closed with a plenary chaired by Tarlach McGonagle, Professor of Media Law & Information Society, bringing the NNHRR's various working groups together to compare notes and consider where future collaboration could support in tackling these societal challenges.
“If the past two days made anything clear, it’s that as technology continues to evolve at high speed, it plays a significant role in shaping our daily lives and the landscape of human rights, both positively and negatively. Therefore, keeping it grounded in critical, collaborative research matters more than ever. At Erasmus School of Law, we are ready to take this on by building on our expertise in technology and human rights,” Alberto Quintavalla, Co-director of The Erasmus Center of Law and Digitalization, stated.
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Erasmus School of Law's Erasmus Center of Law and Digitalization (ECLD) was proud to co-organise and host this year's Toogdag, with particular thanks to the organising committee consisting of Silvia Ciacchi, Sascha van Schendel-Romme, Masuma Shahid, Renée Knoop, Clara Boggini, Daan Albers, and Alberto Quintavalla for their work behind the scenes.
