Applications of Technology In Human Rights Activism

If you have been watching the news, you might have come across the human rights movement dubbed “Black Lives Matter,” which spread worldwide thanks to news agencies and technologies available today. If the same movement had happened twenty years ago, it might not have had the same impact as it did. Technology has brought human rights to the fore, and abusers can no longer operate in secrecy thanks to various technologies.

Online Learning Technologies

Statistics show that more than 120 million people are out of school, but technology is on the path of providing education to all. Various online platforms are making education available to everyone, and some have as many as ten million visits a month. Mobile penetration has also increased, and in continents like Africa, more than 700 million people have a mobile phone. Education technology is disrupting education, and companies are creating open source applications that children can use to learn writing, reading, and mathematics.

Facial Identification Technology

When facial recognition technology is mentioned, most people associate it with abusive governments that want to invade our privacy. However, the technology can be used to fight for human rights too. For instance, facial recognition was used in India to reunite almost 3,000 lost children in just four days with their children.

Blockchain and Supply Chain Abuses

Approximately 30 million people are under forced labour across many industries, but blockchain technology helps expose these human rights abuses. Although blockchain technology is most popular in cryptocurrency, some companies use it to enhance transparency from source to buyer. Everledger uses blockchain to track the source of diamonds and see whether they originate from areas in conflict.

Big Data Use in Human Rights Fights

Big data has enabled organizations to collect and analyze vast amounts of data from various sources like social media, tracking devices, and crowd-sourced data. The data is then analyzed to detect trends and issue early warnings that can be used to prevent or timely respond to any humanitarian crisis.

Private companies like Microsoft are also collaborating with the United Nations to create a data dashboard that collects data on countries and human rights violations. Even government agencies like NASA can predict when a hurricane can occur thanks to big data.

Technology is a sword, and just like a sword, it can be wielded for the good of humanity or to violate human rights.