Enshrined in article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, freedom of thought sits alongside the right to freedom of conscience and religion and complements the right to freedom of opinion, which sits alongside the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of information in article 19. [...] In a rare example of jurisprudence touching on freedom of thought, the European Commission of Human Rights found that the right applied to the “comprehensiveness of the concept of thought.”7 The HRC explains the scope and absolute nature of the right as “far-reaching and profound; it encompasses freedom of thoughts on all matters, personal conviction and the commitment to religion or belief, wheth. [...] Since then, official recognition of the relevance of the right has been reflected in the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child “General Comment on the Rights of the Child in the Digital Environment” (UN Committee on the Rights of the Child 2021) and in the first thematic report of a UN Special Rapporteur dedicated to analysis of the right to freedom of thought in the modern context (Shaheed 2021. [...] The importance of the right to freedom of thought and the potential harms of its violation are reflected both in the consequences for individuals affected and in the societal consequences of violations. [...] Disinformation and freedom of opinion and expression — Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
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Table of Contents
- Freedom of Thought Reviving and Protecting a Forgotten Human Right 1
- Susie Alegre and Aaron Shull 1
- Freedom of Thought Reviving and Protecting a Forgotten Human Right 3
- Susie Alegre and Aaron Shull 3
- About the Authors 6
- About the Program 6
- Introduction 7
- We cannot afford to be distracted by philosophical questions about intelligent machines without ensuring the right of humans to freedom of thought. 8
- Examples of existing technologies that impact our freedom of thought are widespread. 9
- A Forgotten Right 9
- Human rights may reflect and build on philosophical ideas but they must be acted on to be real and effective and to foster an environment in which we can fully enjoy our freedoms. 10
- The Renaissance of a Right 10
- Our Technological Future 11
- Data-Driven Persuasive Technologies 11
- Out of public view sophisticated algorithms intertwine with mass surveillance data harvesting and behavioural psychology to deliver tailored content to specific users. 12
- Eye-Tracking Technologies 12
- Neuralink and BCIs 13
- Losing ones right to freedom of thought at its essence means the loss of ones human agency and choice. 14
- A Freedom in Jeopardy 15
- The Future of Freedom of Thought Drawing the Line 16
- Consent given under pressure or for a high price however is not really consent at all. 16
- The lines around effective protection of the right to freedom of thought are crucial for the future of democracy and human rights around the world. 17
- Works Cited 19
