The UN warns digital surveillance is threatening our privacy like never before. Spyware like Pegasus is turning devices into 24/7 spies. Big Brother isn’t fiction anymore — it’s here.
The United Nations has raised serious concerns about how modern digital technology is putting people’s right to privacy at greater risk than ever before. A new UN report highlights how powerful networked tools are now being used for surveillance, control, and even oppression — making urgent international action essential. The report, released by the UN Human Rights Office, focuses on three major issues: The misuse of intrusive hacking tools like spyware by governments The importance of strong encryption for online safety The growing surveillance of public spaces, both online and offline One of the key dangers highlighted is spyware software like Pegasus, which can secretly turn an ordinary smartphone into a 24-hour spying device. Governments often claim such tools are used to fight crime and terrorism, but in many cases, they’ve targeted journalists, opposition leaders, and human rights activists.
The UN is calling for an immediate moratorium on the use and sale of such hacking tools until strict safeguards are in place to protect human rights. Authorities should only be allowed to access someone’s personal device in exceptional cases — when investigating a serious crime or preventing a national security threat. Another urgent issue raised is the weakening of encryption technologies. Encryption plays a vital role in protecting privacy online, yet some governments are trying to introduce loopholes, like secret “backdoors” into people’s devices.
The report warns against these moves, which could open the door to mass digital surveillance. The report also points to the increasing monitoring of public spaces through CCTV, biometric databases, and digitized identity systems. New technology now makes it easier to track people’s movements and online conversations on a massive scale. Worse still, governments often don’t tell the public how these surveillance tools are being used — or for what purpose.
The UN stresses that governments must limit surveillance to cases that are absolutely necessary and proportionate, both in terms of time and location. The storage of personal data should also be restricted, and there’s an urgent need to regulate the use of biometric recognition technology in public places. Finally, the report urges all countries to establish strict rules on the export of surveillance tools, especially to places where human rights are already at risk. “Digital technology offers huge opportunities for society — but it comes at a price if left unchecked,” said Nada Al-Nashif, the Acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. “Today, the right to privacy is more at risk than ever before. That’s why we need action, and we need it now.
