New Delhi: Around the world various technology systems are reinforcing gender inequalities and entrenching racial and socio-economic power structures, the Amnesty International said.
In a briefing titled “Gender and Human Rights in the Digital Age” on July 10, the organisation has highlighted how “unregulated” data collection practices and “processing of vast amounts of data” often justified as cost-saving measures, perpetuate harmful mass surveillance and discrimination against marginalised groups, including women and LGBTI individuals.
“Marginalised groups, including women and LGBTI people, face threats to their human rights due to extensive and improper data collection practices that do not reflect their individual realities. This under-regulated accumulation and processing of vast amounts of data not only constitutes harmful mass surveillance but also entrenches discrimination against women and LGBTI people,” Amnesty said.
It added: “Governments justify such data grab tactics as a cost-saving solution to roll-out automated systems in the public sector for benefit payments, while Big Tech companies hoard and deploy personal user data for their lucrative surveillance-based business models.”
The briefing notes that the unchecked implementation of digital ID systems and algorithms in social benefits systems has exacerbated the existing global gendered “digital divide,” restricting access to technology for some groups due to historical inequality.
In Pakistan, for instance, the suspension of the ‘X’ category on its Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) left thousands of transgender and gender-diverse individuals without valid documents, denying them fundamental rights like voting and healthcare access.
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“The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) suspended the ‘X’ category on its CNICs. This category had allowed individuals to identify with a gender other than male or female. The decision left thousands of transgender and gender-diverse individuals without valid identity documents, preventing them from exercising their fundamental rights, such as voting or accessing healthcare and employment opportunities. The registrations under ‘X’ category, however, were resumed in September 2023,” Amnesty said.
The brief also highlights barriers to accessing information on sexual and reproductive health, rights, and services, such as abortion, particularly for women and LGBTI people. Limiting access to health information constitutes a violation of the right to health, as seen in the United States, where “abortion rights activists and organisations have reported removals of abortion-related content on Meta and TikTok, effectively preventing people from accessing life-saving information”.
Amnesty International’s research on TikTok found that algorithms promote biased content, amplifying harmful and discriminatory material. Moreover, the investigation revealed that the tech company “infers a user’s personal characteristics, including gender and interests, based on the information it has about them to personalise and customise content and advertisements”.
Targeted digital surveillance through spyware has also been used to target women and LGBTI activists, constituting tech-facilitated gender-based violence (TfGBV). “Women and LGBTI people are targeted and surveilled for engaging in human rights activism and face a range of gendered impacts because of such targeting,” Amnesty mentioned.
Amnesty International’s research in Thailand revealed a disturbing trend of activists being targeted with digital surveillance and online harassment, both by state and non-state actors. This targeting has had devastating gendered impacts on women and LGBTI human rights defenders, leading to a “chilling effect” that has driven some to self-censor or even abandon their activism. The tactics used against them include online harassment, doxing, smear campaigns, threats, and abusive messages, all aimed at intimidating, causing distress and silencing them. The use of Pegasus spyware has been particularly egregious, perpetuating a culture of fear and repression.
