Staying safe with Twitter Youth Activist Checklist: Guidance on Digital Safety and Online Protection of Young People
KNOW Your Rights
– Your right to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly are very important for promoting human rights, peace, and seeking justice. In order for you to exercise these rights safely in online spaces, you have to be protected from discrimination, surveillance, violations of your privacy and other threats in online spaces.
– We know that learning definitions can sometimes be difficult, even boring. But knowing your rights can actually be empowering because it can help you understand what your rights are in a specific situation, and how you can address different situations that might be violations of your human rights in online spaces!
– Some people may think that because of the rapid rise of technology, people are not protected under international human rights law from digital surveillance, online privacy and other issues affecting young activists online. This is untrue! Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted more than 70 years ago, prescribes that everyone has the right to protection of law against attacks on their privacy.
It’s important to know that this protection and right to privacy applies to online spaces as well! This human right was again included in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which only strengthened the importance of this right.
CHECK – Your Digital Footprint There are 5 simple steps that you can take to check your digital footprint on Twitter and to help safeguard it!