Privacy Map

United Nations. Human rights / constitutional. Resolution (UN General Assembly)

Right to privacy in the digital ageUN General Assembly resolutions on the right to privacy in the digital age (series)

In force
Partly verifiedMedium confidence. Treated as one row for the whole series. I did not check whether a newer resolution was adopted at the 80th session in late 2025.

§1Summary

Synopsis

This is a recurring series of non-binding General Assembly resolutions. They confirm that people have the same privacy rights online as offline, and they ask states to review surveillance, interception and bulk data collection against international human rights law. Later resolutions also cover AI, biometrics, encryption and data brokers.

Key themes
  • surveillance
  • interception
  • AI and privacy
  • encryption
  • business responsibility
  • remedies
Unique features

The series grew out of the 2013 Snowden revelations. It led to OHCHR reports and, through the Human Rights Council, to the Special Rapporteur on privacy.

SaaS relevance

These are soft-law expectations on business respect for privacy (UN Guiding Principles), which are relevant to transparency reporting and to how a provider handles government data requests.

§2Obligations

Breach notification
None
DPO
No
Cross-border transfers
None
Maximum penalty
None

§3Dates

Key dates
  • Adopted
  • In force
  • First resolution A/RES/68/167 (2013-12-18); renewed roughly every two years; latest verified A/RES/79/175 adopted 2024-12-17

§4Text and authority

Text
Authority
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reports; UN Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy

§5Where it applies

Members of the body

Membership-based — check ratification status. Membership of United Nations does not mean a state has signed or ratified this instrument.

§6Sources and verification

Sources consulted
Verification

Medium confidence.

Partly verifiedMedium confidence. Treated as one row for the whole series. I did not check whether a newer resolution was adopted at the 80th session in late 2025.